Selected quad for the lemma: power_n
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A26303
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Ahitophel's policy defeated a sermon preached on the 9th of September, being the day appointed by His Majesty for a publick thanksgiving for his kingdoms great deliverance from the late treasonable conspiracy against his sacred person and government.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing A439A; ESTC R19991
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19,330
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32
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Absalom's Obedience David was King of all Israel and therefore all the People were bound to give unto him the things which belong unto Caesar Custom Tribute Reverence Loyalty and Dutiful Allegiance Had he been as bad as Zedekiah yet was he the Breath of their Nostrils and ought to have been Treated as the Anointed of the Lord Lam. IV. 20. Had he been as Wicked as Nero yet he was God's Vicegerent and his Subjects were oblig'd to Obey not only him as Supream but also his Ministers as sent by him and this under no less a Penalty than Damnation Had he been the Greatest Oppressour and most Cruel Tyrant yet who had any Right to say unto him what doest thou Eccles VIII 4. For against a King there is no Riseing And who can Stretch out his hand against the Lord 's Anointed and be guiltless Prov. XXX 31. 1 Sam. XXXVI 9. Is it fit saith Elihu to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly Is it comely nay is it not highly Impious to Reproach the Footsteps of God's Anointed Job XXXIV 16. Psal LXXXIX 51. And as we must not Blaspheme the Sacred Persons of Kings with our Words or Assault them with our Actions So neither must we Murmur against them or Curse them no not in our Thoughts Those who do so Rebel not only against them but against the King of Kings who hath reserv'd unto himself the Prerogative of Judging Rebuking and Punishing his Representatives Thus had David been one of the wicked Kings of Israel yet every Soul was bound to Reverence his Royal Person and instead of Opposing him by Force of Arms was oblig'd to make it part of his Daily Prayer unto God that he wou'd grant the King a long Life even for ever and ever Neh. II. 3. But if we Consider him as a most Gracious and Merciful Wise and Prudent Just and Righteous King this does hugely aggravate the Guilt of those Rebellious Israelites He resembled God not only in Power but also in Mercy Wisdom and Justice with which his Government was so admirably Temper'd that his Subjects had no cause to complain of those Mischiefs which usually accompany that Princes Reign which is manag'd with Barbarous Cruelty unworthy Cunning and Licentious Toleration What therefore should move them to Rebel against him who in Virtue as well as Dignity of Place was the Light of Israel and Worth ten Thousand of them O Foolish People and Unwise do you thus Requite your great Deliverer and Benefactor Shall David who hath destroyed the Mighty Man and preserved you from the hand of the Philistins shall he who hath saved you as well as himself from the Jaws of the Lion and the Paw of the Bear shall he whom God hath miraculously protected for your Good shall he be deposed by you who Live Thrive and Prosper under the kind Influence of his Benigne Favour Do you first judge him unfit to Govern and then Resolve to rend his Kingdom from him But where hath God made you Judges f your Princes Abilities and by what Prophet hath he Pulickly denounc'd that his Kingdom shall not Continue To what Man of God hath he given Commission to appoint another During his Reign as he did to Samuel to anoint David whilst Saul possest the Kingdom of Israel If the House of Saul by God's Express Order be rejected for his Rebellion against God shall therefore Good King David without positive command from Heaven be dethron'd by the People God does not now Transfer Kingdoms from one to another by Immediate Revelation and when he did so he never gave any Power to the People either to Create or Depose Kings When he had Chosen Moses to be King in Jesharun he abhors and is highly offended at those Factious Levites and famous Members of Parliament men of Renown who shall murmur and Remonstrate against his proceedings But notwithstanding the severe Judgment which God Inflicted upon Corah and his Rebellious Associates Absalom and Ahitophel with their Rebellious Associates are Confederates together with one Consent against their Lawful and most Gracious Soveraign III. And that they may put a Good Face upon their Rebellious Practices they declar'd that they very Unwillingly enter'd upon these Violent Courses could they any other way have redress'd these Grievances under which the whole Nation lay most sadly Opprest Alas they could easily bear the Affronts and Indignities which David by the Advice of his Evil Counsellours had put upon them But when they consider'd the Oppressions with which the Poor People were harrassed When their Ancient Liberties and Just Rights and that which ought to be most dear unto every true Israelite their Holy Religion as Reform'd by Absalom and Ahitophel at Hebron lay at Stake and were in danger to be utterly lost When Israel's Condition was thus Miserable they could not but endeavour to relieve their Beloved Countrymen and doubted not but that all who had any love to their Country or their Religion would joyn with them in this Righteous and Holy Cause They were very sensible that the Followers of David would reproach them as Rebels and Traytors and appropriate unto themselves the Title of the Loyal Party But this did not move them who for the good of their Brethren were ready not only to be evil Spoken of but to Sacrifice their very Lives and all their dearest Concerns in this World And now what honest plain and simple Israelite hearing these fair Pretences wou'd not become a Proselyte weep over the Miseries of his Nation look upon these Persons as his only Patriots and intirely give up himself unto their Conduct These sweet Words and glosing Harangues especially coming from Men famous in the Assembly were enough to Charm the Common and Vulgar tho' Innocent and Well-meaning People An Upright Man in whom was no Guile would not have suspected any in this Declaration When in Truth it was nothing but an Artificial Perswasive to draw all Sorts of men into a most Horrid and Unnatural Rebellion A Cabal of Republicans Atheists and Fanaticks met together at Hebron and agreed under the specious Pretences of Property and Publick Good Liberties and the Laws Religion and Reformation to invite into the Faction the Honest and Industrions the Ingenuous and Free-born the Pious and Devout They were already Assured of those who were like unto themselves in Temper and Principles and that they might catch others who in a Lawful Sense were Friends to Property Liberty and Religion they Baited the Hook with these Glittering Pretences See says Absalom after he had Examin'd each Man's Case thy Matters are good and right But there is no man deputed of the King to hear thee Or as it is in the Margine none will hear thee from the King downward 2 Sam. XV. 3. David now began to grow in Age and therefore Absalom took this Occasion to render him Odious and Despicable unto the People When the King Grows Old the Giddy Multitude are easily