the Fact having thereby got the power into his hands yet out of a due sense he had of the Horridness of the villany he commanded those Traitors who had served his turn to be slain all of them when they had the confidence to Address for a Reward An instanc not much unlike King David's dealing with this Amalekite whâ—n he brought Saul's Blood upon his own head because he had stretched forth his hand to destroy the Lord 's Anointed Those words the Lord 's Antâ—nted denote the great nay the Sole thing which we find here and in other places to have made such a deep and continual Impression upon David's Spirit So that when he had cut off the skirt of Saul's robe his Heart Smote him When he was tempted to Kill him in the Cave he abhorr'd the very thoughts of it when Abishai would have destroyed him at one blow as he was asleep David with held him with a strong hand When Abner was so careless of his Masters safety as to let him fall into David's power David reprehended him And at last when this Amalekite had smote him him who had so long hunted after David's Soul He presently smote the Amalekite all this was grounded upon this Great and Weighty consideration that Saul was the Lord's Anointed A King is said to be the Lord 's Anointed in a Two-fold respect 1. In respect of that outward Ceremonial Unction whereby for Sate-sake he is by the Priest separated from the People or rather Declared Notified and Acknowledged to be a Sacred person Now this is not the great thing considerable because it is but a Râ—te and Form that is not absolutely necessary For many Princes at this day are not thus Anointed at all I know not whether this Unction was ever used to Pagan Kings who yet were Gods Ministers and had Gods Authority as well as others it was a long time before it came to be used even in the Christian World anciently and originally it was a rite peculiar to the Jews alone and among them it was not used constantly neither but when the Succession was broken or a dispute arose about a Successors Title commonly one of a Family was Anointed for all his Posterity and Issue and even then the man was not made King because he was Anointed but he was Anointed because he was King. Though there be neither Horn nor Cruse of Oyl in the case yet be 〈…〉 nearer the less and that upon an Higher and more Noble 〈…〉 2. In respect of that inward and essential Unction which he receives at the very first minute of his Kingship and by which he is Sanctified and set apart and above all others in that very Article of time and which from that day forward is inseparable from his Person Now this Unction consisteth in that Supreme Power which is given unto him in that Sacred Authority which is vested in him in that inviolable Majesty which is inseparable from him in that Divine Image and Impress whereby he bears a different and singular Character and becomes Hallowed And because he receives all this at the hands of God alone because he oweth all this neito Priest nor People but to God alone because this Power Authority Majesty Image and Character is given him by the Lord only therefore he is called The Lord 's Anointed that is a Person made so Sacred by God by the Communication of his own Authority that now he cannot be treated with rudeness or violence without Dishonoring God's own Majesty and striking at the Face of God himself To this purpose we are to observe what God said of King Cyrus an Heathen an Infidel a Foreigner no more related unto him than a Philistine or an Amalekite Prince yet all this notwithstanding he calls him his Anointed Is 45. Thus saith the Lord to his Anointed to Cyrus whose right hand I have holden or strengthened with Power v. 1. I have even called thee by thy name I have surnamed thee though thou hast not known me v. 4. This was Prophetically spoken for at this time Cyrus was not so much as Born And when he came to be King of Persia he was no more Anointed there than Nero was at Rome and yet as the Prophet calls the former God's Anointed so the Apostle calls the latter the Minister of God the Ordained of God and both Isaiah and St. Paul spake so upon these grounds because all Lawful Princes are endued with God's Power and Authority whereof the Material and Ceremonial Unction among the Jews was a Signification and Argument only Now do but compare all this with what is recorded of Saul whom David speaks of in my Text and styles him The Lord 's Anointed Not very long after he came to the Crown out of Timorousness and Infidelity he-offered up Sacrifice himself in Samuels absence 1 Sam. 13. and therein he was an Usurper of the Priestly Office. Afterwards he spared the King of Amalek c. 15. and the best of the spoil contrary to what he was required to do and therein he was a Rebel against Gods Commands After this he sought the Life of David c. 18. the best Subject that ever any Prince had and would have struck him to the wall with a Javelin and all this for David's good Service therein he was a Tyrant After this he unjustly Kills at once 85. of the Lord's Priests c. 22. besides the Men and Women Children and Sucklings that were in Nob and therein he was a Murderer After this he forsaketh the Lord for the Devil and consulteth a Witch at Ender c. 28. and therein he was an Apostate And after all this last of all as if he could not perish by any impurer hands than his own he rusheth on the point of his Sword c. 31. endeavours and attempts his own final Destruction and there he was a self-Hemicide Notwithstanding all these Sins he was the Lord's Ancinted still and David own'd treated reveer'd and in the end vindicated him as the Lord 's Anointed He distinguisht between the Sinner and the Prince He lookt upon his Personal Crimes with one eye and upon his Holy Unction with another And if the Scripture may be allowed to bear us out in any conclusion we have warrant enough to infer hence that the worst of Kings supposing him to be a Lawful King hath a Divine and Indelible Character for the sake whereof he ought to be accounted and Honoured as the Lord 's Anointed and consequently as a Sacred and Dread Soveraign Nor will it avail us to consider how or by what means he came to his Soveraignty whether by Inheritance or otherwise A Lawful Prince is the Lord 's Anointed ever beholding to God alone for his Power and Authority Succession or Election may be the Instrument to convey the Title but the Deed is Gods and the Soveraign Power is a Donative and Estate which the King holdeth in Fee of God and of God alone whether it be by Nature that the Man is
brought forth or whether it be by the Sword that he cuts his way or whether it be by the Consent of Men that he is pitcht upon still these are but the means the ways and the methods of a Nation whereby a Prince is brought to the Throne 'T is God that gives him his Commission to Reign in it the Right of Governing the Authority he hath over his People the Power of Life and Death the Crown and Scepter the Regalities and Prerogatives of a King however he may diminish or give some of them away they are owing only to the Courtesie of Heaven In this case 't is necessary for us to distinguish between the Power it self and the Choice or Application of the Person to that Power Now the Power is God's by whom Kings Reign But under God there may be divers Subordinate Instrumental and Ministerial hands to give a man a Right to that Power Anciently and first of all Monarchical Soveraignty went by Lineal Descent and Proximity of Blood and this was the Regal and best way But in after Ages the Wickedness of a few Nations altered this course and Monarchies came to be Elective And though a Prince be chosen by the Suffrages of the People yet this is but a Qualification of him to use that Power and to exercise that Authority which is given by the King of Kings Nay though they Anoint and Crown him yet in all this they are the only Masters of the Ceremonies to declare their Obligations to Obey and to Assist in the Princes Investitures still the Authority whereby he acteth the Substantial and Essential Unction is from above They may put on his Robes and gird him with the Sword and place him in his Imperial Chair and cover his Head with a Royal Diadem but when he is in his Throne 't is by a Superior Authority that he strikes with his Sword and by a Divine Commission that he Commandeth Governeth and Ministreth Justice unto the People which he is set over And so Valentinian told his Soldiers when they had chosen him Emperor and asked him something which he did not like It was in your Power to chuse me to rule over you saith he but since you have chosen me what you desire dependeth not upon your pleasure but mine Your business is as my Subjects to obey me and my business is as your Prince to order what you are to do Though Valentinian was taken from among the Soldiery yet his Power was not derived from the Camp but it was from God as King Saul's was when he was fetcht from among the Stuff 1 Sam. 10. Things are best understood when they are Illustrated by familiar Instances Take then 1. an Instance in an Ecclesiastical matter Judas the Traitor being dead the Eleven think of Substituting some other in his Room and by lot they Elected Matthias Acts 1. But Matthias was not their Delegate nor did he Act by their Commission or in their Name or by their Power but his Authority was from Christ as the rest of the Apostles was They indeed pitcht upon the Man but his Apostleship his Ministerial Character his power to Preach to Administer Sacraments to Bind and Loose this Power was from Heaven 2. Take a second Instance in an Oeconomical matter Say a Servant chuseth his Master or a Wife her Husband each of these pitch upon the Man but neither of them gives him his Authority but both consent to submit unto it his power of Governing his whole House-hold is from Nature 3. Take a third Instance yet in a Political matter Say a Parish do chuse their Constable or a City their Mayor or a County their Sheriff these indeed determine upon the Person but they give them not their Power nor do they act in the Names of their Electors but their Authority to keep the Peace to Distrain Goods to Sieze and Execute Malefactors is from the King and the Kings Officers they are Why much like hereunto is that other Instance when a People chuse their King though it would be better for the World if no People did so Haereditary Government being the best After a great deal of Clamour Disorder Animosity Strife Confusion Distraction and perhaps Bloodshed at last Necessity brings them to agree upon the Man But the Kings Authority comes not from the dirty hands of a Rout nor doth he act in the name of a Soveraign multitde but his Power is from God By his Command Kings are constituted by whose pleasure Men are born God appoints them and fits them according to the condition of the Times saith Irenaeus Iren. lib. 5. adv Haeres cap. 24. And so Tertullian affirms that the Emperor is thence whence the man was before he was Emperor Tertul. Apol. c. 30. He receivenh his Power from the same hand which gave him his Spirit And elsewhere saith he We Christians worship the Emperor so as 't is lawful for us and expedient for himself as a Man next unto God as one that hath received all that he hath from God and as one that is inferior to God alone Tertul. adv Scapul Now if the case be thus where a Monarchy is Elective as the Roman Empire was whatever is suggested to the contrary the Plea is much the stronger for the Divine Authority of a Prince where the Crown descendeth by Inheritance as God be blessed it doth with us and for the good of the Kingdom may it descend still in that Natural and Peaceful course to the Worlds end In this case the Consent of the People is neither Essential nor Accessory as they are not capable of conferring the Authority so they are praecluded the liberty of disputing about the Person where there is an apparent or undoubted Heir for God and Nature have alread determin'd the Controversie Men may Recognize his Right and in point of Conscience are bound to do so as the Men of Israel did Recognize Saul's Right after he had been Anointed but where a Kingdom is Hereditary ones Right taketh place upon the voidance of anothers Possession which is the ground of that Maxim in our Law which is the sharpest Dagger in the Republicans Heart that the King cannot dye I have been the longer upon clearing the account of the Divine Authority of Kings because it was the only consideration which David had in his thoughts when he was moved to proceed so severely against this Amalekite for offering violence unto Saul Quare non Timuisti How came it about that thou wast not afraid that thy Heart did not sink that thy Soul could suffer thee to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lord 's Anointed And hence we may fairly proceed to Two Conclusions 1. That it is a Fearful thing even to Resist the Lords Anointed A Fearful thing indeed according to St. Paul's Divinity if it be a Fearful thing to be Damned For Opposition tendeth to Destrustion and there is no more difference between Resisting and Killing then there is between the means and
the end or between putting a Sword to a Princes Throat and direct Cutting it If he be a Murderer by Interpretation who hateth his Brother he must be a Regicide in the intent who draweth out his Artillery against his Prince and Rebbels are beholding to our Charity alone in this as well as other cases if we do not say that never any subjects drew the sword against their King but with a Resolution if there was no other Remedy to sheath it in his Blood. I do not intend for the Time will not give me leave to handle the case of a a Defensive War against a Rightful Soveraign a case that never was maintain but by Republican Atheists When our Saviour commanded us Not to resist evil Matth. 5.39 we must suppose him to teach us to suffer Indignities with patience as well from the hands of a Superior as from the hands of an Equal And when St. Paul affirms that whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God Rom. 13.2 we must conclude that a War against Lawful Authority is a War against Heaven And when St. Peter requiring us to Honour the King presently Subjoined Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear not only to the Good and Gentle but also to the Froward 1 Pet. 2.18 we must look upon him to have taught us the necessity of Passive Obedience in the State as well as at Home for otherwise it would follow what is unreasonable to conceive that Princes have not so much benefit by the Gospel for the securing of their Authority as every Ordinary and Private Man hath And in saying thus much God is my Witness that I aim at no other end but to vindicate the Doctrine of the Cross which divers lately have endeavoured to expose to Contempt and Derision But to return to David's practice in reference to Saul because David's having of an Army has been pleaded by Rebels to justifie Resistance for the removing of this Objection many things are to be consider'd 1. That David's case was particular for he was already Anointed unto the Kingdom and was Haeres Viventis not only Lawful Heir but as sure of the Crown as if Saul had been dead 2. That the little Army which David had was not of his own Raising but they resorted unto him of their own accord partly for Refuge-sake for they were Indigent and Disconted Persons partly to shew David their best respects partly out of pity and compassion to a wronged Prince and the Hearts of Men are generally pitiful and compassionate in such a case and partly to endear themselves to David and to make their Fortunes by him when he should come to the Crown 3. That when the Men were come David used them rather as a Friendly Retinue than as a formidable Army to secure his own Life from the hands of Pick-thanks who otherwise might be ready to shed his Blood to curry favour with Saul and without Saul's Order and Commission 4. That when David imployed his Retinue to Military purposes and after a Military manner it was against those People who were Enemies to Israel and who by the Command of God were to be destroyed and even then too David acted under King Achish as his chief Commissioner and General 5. That from the beginning to the end of the whole matter though David had so many Swords at his command yet he never once Resisted his own Dread Soveraign but only fled from him and fled with more security than he could have done otherwise Nay tho David had to the fairest opportunities of making Saul his Prisoner and of taking away his Life one in the Cave at Engedi 1 Sam. 24. and another on the Hill of Hachilah 1 Sam. 26 yet still he forbore all manner of violence at both times using this Heroick and Loyal Expression The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lords Anointed to stretch forth mine hand against him seeing he is the Anointed of the Lord. Whence I proceed to the next Conclusion that the Destruction of the Lord 's Anointed the stretching forth the hand to Invade his Life or Dominions is of all other Acts of Violence the most fearful and horrid Crime The Lord forbid that I should do this thing saith David When the Kingly Prophet David had privily cut off the skirt of Saul's Robe though it was only with a design to let him see that he had been in his Power his Heart smote him as if he had made a breach upon God's Law and had been guilty of a very unworthy and Disloyal Act for the Oyl upon a Kings Head like the Oyntment upon the Head of Aaron that descended upon his skirts makes even his Vestments Sacred But with what Agonies and Convulsions would his Soul have been Tortured had the King of Israel been mocked by such a Juncto of Jews as Butcher'd the King of England and in the name of the Lord vied for Wickedness with all the Devils in Hell The story of Saul's Death is a very sad relation all the parts and appurtenances thereof together with Saul's own Guilt and the sin of his Armour-bearer and this Amalekite being rightly considered But yet there are some passages in the story which it may not be amiss for us to observe 1. Concerning the Armour-bearer Saul commanded him to draw his Sword and to thrust him through therewith being desirous rather to dye by the hands of his own Servant than to be abused by the Uncircumcised Philistines But notwithstanding the Kings own Command the Armour-bearer refused to hearken in that particular he was sore afraid saith the Text 1 Sam. 31.4 Read on now to the next v. and you will find that this Armour-bearer feared not to Kill himself though he was sore afraid to Kill his Soveraign By which instance it is clear not only that he valued his Prince's Life far above his own but also that he thought it much a more pardonable sin to be a self-Murderer than to be a Regicide though tempted to be so by his Soveraigns Command Doubtless for a Man to Kill himself is a very horrid sin because it is his last Act whereby in Humane probability he hurrieth himself off the Earth into Hell. Yet this Armour-bearer chose rather to Dye with the Guilt of his own Blood upon his hands than to Live Guilty of the Blood of the Lord 's Anointed and before he would be such a Traitor ran a sad venture of being Damned for ever by being Felo de se 2. And then as for the Amalekite that did effectually help on the Destruction of Saul though he did it not of Malice but upon Saul's intreaty though he did it when Saul was now half breathless and when he was sure otherwise to be Killed by the Philistines though he did it to rid him of his present Fear and Pains and struck him more like a Friend than an Enemy doing no other than what Saul himself had already done in