Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	david_n	king_n	saul_n	2,575	5	9.7545	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40432	A sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons, at St. Margaret's Westminster, on Wednesday the fifth of November, 1690 being the anniversary thanksgiving for the happy deliverance of King James the First, and three estates of the realm, from the Gunpowder-treason : and also for the happy arrival of His present Majesty on this day, for the deliverance of our church and nation from Popery and arbitrary power / by Sa. Freeman ...	Freeman, Samuel, 1643-1700.	1690 (1690)	Wing F2146; ESTC R2149	10,052	36

Majesty So that would Men lay aside their Prejudices and their Passions their Piques and Revenges their Peevish and Awkward their Selfish and Narrow Spirits they would soon perceive that the Preservation of our Laws and Religion wherein consists the Publick Good of this Realm nay which yet adds to it the Preservation of the Protestant Religion and Interest all the World over whereon the Glory of God and the Salvation of Men's Souls do so much depend have in a manner forced the Royal Diadem where it is And this Consideration alone had it not been seconded with a just Cause and a prevailing Power in a Sovereign Prince seems to me to give an Undoubted Title II. Here 's the Promise it self In the following Verses from the 25th to the 30th God promises David greatly to enlarge his Empire to exalt him to the highest pitch of Human Power and Glory to continue the Crown for ever in his Family from which it should never be taken as it had been from Saul's But these may be thought peculiar to David who was a Type of Christ as well as King of Israel especially the last which did not receive its full accomplishment but in the Kingdom of the Messiah who was to come of the Race and is said to sit on the Throne of David What he promises him in the Text is His powerful Presence with him to protect him in all Dangers to direct and assist him in all his just Undertakings to strengthen him against all the Enemies both Domestick and Foreign of his Crown and Kingdom and this every Righteous and Religious Prince may ordinarily take Confidence in and apply to themselves And that 1. As they are God's Representatives and Vicegerents in the World They are call'd Gods and St. Paul stiles the Supreme Magistrate The Minister of God Because we are not capable of an immediate Converse with Heaven therefore does God govern us by Men like our selves and so puts part of his Power into their Hands for as Prophets receive of the Spirit so do Kings of the Power of God Now those who are employ'd by God to act for and under him in the World have reason to expect proportionable Assistance and Protection from him 2. As they are entrusted by God with the Management of Publick Affairs and so the welfare of the whole Community depending in a great measure upon their prudent Conduct and Safety We have ten parts in the King said the Ten Tribes Thou art worth Ten thousand of us And again Thou shalt not any more go out to Battel with us lest thou quench the Light of Israel said the Israelites to King David What the Sun is to the World that is a Wise and Gracious Prince to a Nation its Happiness and its Glory Now we may be sure that that Providence which as the Scripture tells us extends its Care over the least and most despicable things over the Birds of the Air and the Beasts of the Field will much more concern it self for things of a more worthy Nature for Men for Communities of Men for Princes the Life and Soul of Communities God is more concern'd in Many than in single Persons and since a Kingdom is the general Concernment of a King a King must be the special Concernment of God Kings by the Ancients were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men kept by God He hides them under the Shadow of his Wings he keeps them as the Apple of his Eye He sets them as a Signet on his right hand God hath this as his peculiar Title The God that giveth Salvation unto Kings 3. That I may put many things together and hasten Good Kings may expect God's special Presence with them In regard of the difficulty of their Office and Duty being oft times to deliberate about the Fate of Kingdoms to judge in Matters of a dubious and intricate Nature and to engage in Enterprises of the greatest Hazard In regard of the many Temptations the Height of their Place and Power subjects them unto The uncontrollableness of their Power the abundance of their Wealth the multitude of their Cares and Business the Crouds of Sycophants and Flatterers that always follow the Courts of Princes are very dangerous Snares to their Virtue The Devil knows how much it would be for the advantage of his Kingdom in the World to have the Governors of it on his side that they cannot sin alone but they must be follow'd by Troops and therefore he 's always watching occasions and craving permission from God to seduce and pervert them In regard of the many Dangers they are expos'd to Princes have not only many Potent Enemies from abroad but for the most part many envious ill-willers and discontented Male-contents at home that are always beating how to supplant or overthrow them In regard lastly of some momentous and important Work and Business a Prince may be call'd to by God Be it for example to put a stop to the spreading of Idolatry or to give a check to the merciless Rage of Tyrants and Persecutors This is the Cause of God and he must be wanting to himself should he be wanting to those whom he hath raised up for the defence of it The Worthies of the Old Testament Moses and Joshuah and Gideon and Barak and Jeptha and David and many others were bright examples of this with whom God was peculiarly present and sometimes after a miraculous manner The Author to the Hebrews tells us what Heroical Atchievements they perform'd by faith in God I must not stay to lead you far back in other History yet I cannot forbear mentioning the many wonderful Deliverances and Successes wherewith it pleased God to crown the Great Constantine and our own Renown'd and never to be forgotten Queen Elizabeth whom God raised up the one for the Deliverance of his Church Universal from Heathen Rage the other for the Deliverance of this Church from Popish Fury But I must pass over these and innumerable others that I may come to them which I am concern'd particularly to remember What an admirable Providence was it that discover'd the Gunpowder Treason the black Conspiracy of this Day by the Lines of a dead Letter sent to the Lord Monteagle What could it be but a Beam from Heaven that darted into the King's Mind a meaning quite contrary to the natural sense of the Words and all Grammatical construction The expression was The Danger is past as soon as you have burnt the Letter which King James interpreted as quickly making it signifie the suddenness and quickness of the Blow intended And no less visible was the Sword of the Lord than the Sword of Gideon in our late happy Happy and Glorious Revolution when we consider with what an invincible Spirit of Wisdom and Courage His Majesty undertook the Cause of our Country what general Desires and Inclinations were on the sudden kindled in Mens Hearts towards Him their Laws and their Religion What a burning Zeal and

Dr. FREEMAN's SERMON BEFORE THE HOUSE of COMMONS November 5. 1690. Jovis 6. Die Novemb. 1690. ORdered That the Thanks of this House be given to Dr. Freeman for the Sermon he Preached yesterday before this House at St. Margarets Westminster And that he be desired to Print the same And that Sir William Leveson Gower do acquaint him therewith PAUL JODRELL Cl. Dom. Com. A SERMON Preached before the Honourable House of Commons AT St. MARGARET'S Westminster On Wednesday the Fifth of November 1690. BEING THE Anniversary Thanksgiving for the Happy Deliverance of King JAMES the First and the Three Estates of the Realm from the GUNPOWDER-TREASON And also for the Happy Arrival of His present MAJESTY on this Day for the Deliverance of our Church and Nation from Popery and Arbitrary Power By S A. FREEMAN D. D. Rector of St. Paul's Covent Garden and Chaplain in Ordinary to Their MAJESTIES LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard M DC XC A SERMON Preached before the Honourable House of Commons NOVEMB 5. 1690. PSALM LXXXIX 21 22. I have found David my servant with my holy oyl have I anointed him My hand shall hold him fast and my arm shall strengthen him THE Words contain in them God's gracious Promise to King David of his special and more than ordinary Presence with and Protection of him in the Administration of the Government he had called him to And certainly never had any person greater experience of it than David both before and after his coming to the Crown Witness his Deliverance from the Paws of the Lion and the Bear from the mighty Force of the uncircumcised Philistine from the Persecutions of Saul from the Rebellion of Absalom from the secret Conspiracies of Domestick Foes and the open Invasions of Foreign Enemies Sometimes indeed it pleases God for the Punishment of a wicked People to suffer a Righteous and a Religious Prince to fall by the hands of Violence as was the Case of the good King Josiah yet this is but rarely so for the most part such Princes may promise themselves Safety and Success from the Providence of God that God's hand will hold them fast and his arm strengthem them that the Enemy shall not be able to do them violence nor the Son of Wickedness hurt them that God will smite down their Foes before their face and plague them that hate them Three things are here to be considered I. The Person to whom the Promise is made King David II. The Promise it self viz. God's special Presence with him and Protection of him My hand shall hold him fast and mine arm shall strengthen him III. What are the proper Uses and Application of this Doctrine I. The first thing to be considered is The Person to whom the Promise is made King David whom the Text considers under a two-fold Character As a Religious King David my servant And As a Rightful King With my holy oyl have Ianointed him 1. As a Religious King David my servant Saul by his Disobedience had shewed himself unworthy of the Government and God's Favour He rejected the word of the Lord says the Text and thereupon God rejected him from being King and resolv'd to translate the Crown to another Family And amongst all the Tribes and Families in Israel he pitch'd upon David the Son of Jesse as the most fit and best qualified Person for it I have found David my servant concerning whom God gave this Testimony That he was a man after his own heart and that he had done that which was Right in his eyes A Good King is one who is no less the Image of the Love and Goodness than of the Power and Majesty of God who no less represents the Affection and Tenderness of our Heavenly Father than the Authority of the Universal Monarch whose Care it is That Religion flourishes and the True Worship of God be established That Justice be impartially administred That Vice be subdued and Virtue encouraged That the One be sham'd by his Example and punish'd by his Laws And that the Other Reigns and Triumphs under the Influence of both One who invades no Man's Property Whose Ox or Ass have I taken Whom have I defrauded Whom have I oppressed So Samuel when Supreme Magistrate of Israel justified his Integrity Who uses not his Power to ruine his People to undermine the True Religion or to enslave their Persons but to defend Both and to preserve them in their Rights and Liberties Who is truly Pater Patriae the Father of his Countrey having no distinct Interest from his People's and making Their Welfare His highest Glory 2. As a Rightful King With my holy oyl have I anointed him No Man can call in question David's Title to the Crown unless he will dispute God's Right to dispose of Crowns as he pleases for David was immediately Chosen by God and Anointed by his Prophet But this was peculiar to the Kings of Israel and Judah no other Princes can produce such a Patent for their Crowns That which comes the nearest is When God by a signal and wonderful Providence for some Great and Noble Ends to Save a Nation or to Defend his Truth or to abate the Pride and Insults of His and His Churches Enemies pulls down Kings and sets up Kings But this is no certain way of arguing Success does not always give a Title where it gives a Crown The ordinary Means of conveying a Right to Govern are Either Conquest in a just Cause The Election of the People or Hereditary Succession Ours is own'd to be an Hereditary Crown viz. Always descending to the next Heir unless it so happen that he be naturally or morally uncapable and that the Publick Good and Safety will be evidently endangered in his hands Here it leaps over not out of the Royal Line but to the next against whom there is no such Objection The great End of Government is the Publick Good and Safety This for the most part is bound up in the Laws and Constitutions of the Community and as all the Powers and Prerogatives invested by Law in the Prince or Head of this Polity are the better to enable him to execute those Laws and maintain the Common Safety so all the Oaths that are taken to him by the Subjects are also in Subordination and Subserviency to the Common Safety to which they were antecedently oblig'd and he as well as they sworn to preserve And therefore the Lords and Commons of England as is evident all along in the Course of our History have always lookt upon that Prince who went about by an Arbitrary Power in Contradiction to their Laws and Rights both Civil and Ecclesiastical to Enslave and Oppress them as one that had laid down the English Kingship or Monarchy and have made no Scruple on such a just Occasion to withdraw their Allegiance from him and to place another of the same Royal Line on the Throne of