ready to revenge such Prevarications Others besides Saul may subscribe to the Truth of this Saul had done justly and what became him to have left the Gibeonites in the same state he found them upon his coming to the Crown He lay under no constraint to vex or slay them they had lived loyally and therefore easily under former Governments and would have done the like under his If Princes to shew the Mightiness of their Power shall unjustly invade the Liberties Lives Rights and Privileges of their Subjects for security whereof beside the Ancient Grant of Bountiful Kings they have the standing Laws of the Kingdom they can expect no other than that God should arise and take the Matter into his own hand and deliver the Afflicted out of the hands of such unrighteous and cruel Judges Thus he appear'd for the wrong'd Gibeonites and thus favourably blessed be his name he hath also appeared for us of these Nations 3. Sheba and his Crew might have rested better satisfied in the Providence of God deposing Saul because they were not ignorant that Saul was cruel and tyrannical and mightily abused his Power Saul entered upon his Government in a smooth and winning way and is said 1 Sam. 13 1. to have reigned two Years that is the first two Years he governed with Justice Prudence and Love according to the established Laws of the Kingdom but the rest in which he gave way to his arbitrary Power and Passion are not recorded I confess these Words He reigned two years will admit another Construction but I know not whether the looseness of the Times will bear such sound Doctrine However this it is Saul reigned two Years well and so reigned rightfully but though he kept the Throne some time after God rejected him he was not accounted to reign as a lawful King but as a Tyrant holding Possession till God drove him out This Sense some cannot away with for they know no better than if a King be crown'd it is no matter how he governs for if once he hath got the Power into his hands these Slaves say it is damnable to resist him And this strange Doctrine they would fain build upon that of the Apostle Rom. 13.1 2. The genuine Interpretation of which Place is certainly this Power is the Ordinance of God so as that for the preservation of Peace and Order in the World God did ordain that some should Command and others Obey yet I think it cannot thence be concluded that either God did prescribe what particular Form or Manner of Government should be used in every part of the World as Monarchy Aristocracy or Democracy or that he did prohibit the removing of any Person upon his Male Administration from either sort of Government Government being God's Ordinance where a Form thereof is established for Disaffected Persons to resist or seek the Subversion of such Form is resisting the Ordinance of God and such may expect to receive to themselves Damnation however to apply this Rule to the Person governing would be dangerous as to say that a King of a Free People who upon his Coronation stipulates with his People and binds his Soul with an Oath to Govern according to the Laws of the Kingdom may if he be so minded Rule without Limitation or Restriction and may not be Resisted in nor Deposed for such Tyranny for hereupon not only would Confusion follow to prevent which Government was ordain'd but the Person so abusing his Power must be allow'd to be the Ordinance of God and then many times we should find the Ordinance of God thwarting opposing and beating down the Will of God which is his own Glory and the well governing of his People At this rate God might be thought were it not abominable so to imagine to have established Wickedness by a Law and to be the Author of all the Injustice Cruelty and Barbarity committed by Evil Men in Authority All Power that acteth agreeably to God's Law is most properly of God but that God alloweth of no such extravagant employing Power we may find he hath reserved a Prerogative of calling them that shall be guilty of so doing to an Account for that Power for Dan. 425. God ruleth in the Kingdoms of men and giveth them to whomsoever he pleases That we may believe this we find it repeated Ver. 32. And to put the matter beyond all doubt in the same place we find a President for Ver. 33. the same hour this was fulfilled upon the great Nebuchadnezzar whom by reason he had abus'd his Power in Pride and Luxury God dethron'd And farther that it belongs to God thus to deal with Crown'd Heads look into Ver. 34. when by a seven Years Abdication Nebuchadnezzar was reformed God restor'd him to his Throne But now as pleasing as this part of the History may be to some I desire them to mark this also That when Nebuchadnezzar was dethron'd God foreseeing he would be reclaim'd reserv'd his Throne vacant and his Diadem untouch'd as Josephus says nemine audente toto septennio invadere Dominium none daring to take the Government during his Absence Had God foreseen the like in him he last Depos'd and turn'd to Grass to Herd with Beasts he had not fill'd the Throne with another Crowns and Seepters are Gifts too great to be dispos'd by any other hands than God's And when we see a Good and Righteous Prince in Possession we have no reason to fear or doubt that God bestow'd them on him I speak not of Possession in that Sense that some have done curtailing the King 's Right and thereby encouraging some weak ones to think resisting him no Sir for his Claim is much greater in that the Gift that God gave him is most thankfully and joyfully confirmed by our Laws by the Assent and Consent Hearts as well as Hands of his People That Saul was guilty of Oppression and Cruelty and mightily abus'd his Power we need use no other Evidence than that we find upon Record 1 Sam. 8.11 and onwards I confess I might have instanc'd in his rash condemning Jonathan to Death in his bloody Dispatch of so many of God's Priests at Nob upon the bare Information of a Muleteer or Ass-Driver his Heart was too tender to slay a single Amalakite an Idolater yet he could command and behold the Slanghter of fourscore Priests besides a mixt multitude of Women Children and Sucklings but I shall keep only to the forecited Instance and there we shall find proof sufficient 1. Samuel prophesy'd of him That he should spoil his People of their Lands and Possessions nay of their Sons and Daughters 1 Sam. 18. v. 11 12 13 14 15. 2. It was prophesy'd of him That he should take these things not for the Necessity of the Crown to defend his Country and Subjects but to please his Pride and to ingratiate with his Favourites 3. Samuel prophesy'd of Saul as you will find Ver. 16 17. that he should use his People more like
the Throne of Israel and this I will do first by making some remarks on the Person remov'd and next considering some things extraordinary in the Person placed in his room 1. That which might have quieted Sheba and his Tribe was The Person Abdicated viz. Saul was removed for his Disobedience against the positive Commands of God The Scriptures are silent as concerning Saul's behaviour while a private person and if we may suppose him them tractable and obedient his new Honour made a wonderful Alteration but some have got so much King-craft that they can disguise their natural Tempers and dissemble better till such time as they judge they may disclose their own without controul For 1 Sam. 10.1 he was anointed V. 8. he receives command by the same hand that anointed him to go down to Gilgal and there stay seven days where Samuel would come down and offer Burnt-offerings Sacrifice and Sacrifices of Peace-offerings and shew him what he shall do notwithstanding this Order and Promise Saul fearing the Approach of the Philistines presumes upon an Office to which he was not call'd he will stay no longer but turn Priest and offer Sacrifice observe as light a matter as he counted it Samuel tells him 1 Sam. 13.13 that it was a foolish Act and he had thereby broken the Commandment of the Lord His fear of the Philistines could not justifie his distrust of God's help nor would the Devotion of his Sacrifice atone for the breach of God's Command He should have been as zealous to obey as willing to be Anointed It is great fondness to believe that God who requires Obedience from those of low degree should hold such excused whom he hath placed in the most eminent Stations God's Rule of Exspectance bears proportion to to the measure of his Liberality and consequently every Act of Disobedience in such Personages appears the more heinous even from the greatness of that Honour to which they are exalted Saul's Charge was 1 Sam. 15.3 to destroy Amalek I confess the Tenour of the Commission might something terrifie him because it was so general for neither Age Sex Degree or Quality Man or Beast was excepted yet ought he not so long to have pondered the thing in hand as to forget his Obligation if Nature represented his Obedience as cruel and sanguine Grace should have reminded him of His uncontroulable Authority who had given him this in charge and then he had soon understood the greatest Cruelty would have been to himself in suspending the Execution However Saul wanted not other Arguments to have satisfy'd the Relentings of Nature as that they were gross Idolaters and moreover as God was pleas'd to acquaint him they had deilt very barbarously when time was with Israel and therefore he should have concluded that seeing God's time of Vengeance was come and that God had deputed him to that Office he must by no means decline it or be partial in the Execution Peradventure Covetousness might solicit in behalf of Agag propounding a plentiful Ransom However he should have consider'd it had been more happy to hear the Heathen confessing Verily there is a righteous God that judgeth in the earth than to hear his Subjects vaunting There is a rich King that reigneth in Israel It may be Hypocrisie became Advocate for the choicest of the Cattle alledging if ever the Case were examined it would be a sufficient excuse to plead they were spar'd for Sacrifice But Saul should rather have believed the Lord had not that Delight in Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices as in the obeying and performing his Commands Mercy is one of the brightest Jewels that can adorn a Prince's Crown nay it gives Beauty and Lustre to the rest but to spare Idolaters God's professed Enemies to rescue those that God hath appointed to dye deserves not so good a Name and they that presuming on their Power will adventure on such Indulgence must expect to fare no better than Saul did who for so unaccountable fondness in opposition to God's Commands forfeited both his Kingdom and his Life for therefore God rejected him as is apparent V. 26 of that Chapter Solomon's Advice is therefore as proper for Crowned Heads as for the meanest of their Subjects The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom then do Princes begin to grow wise and politick when they grow fearful of violating the least of God's Commands a Rule that all who would establish their Thrones must make Conscience of observing 2. Sheba and his Company might have been satisfied in the Providence of God's deposing Saul because they well knew Saul was false and inconstant to his most solemn Oaths and Engagements The Inhabitants of Gibeon by crafty Pretences drew Joshua into Covenant Josh 9.15 however Joshua most religiously observ'd the Articles he made with them He knew they did ill to make Lies their Refuge but yet he foresaw he should do much worse if he departed from his Promise and this Covenant though fraudulently obtain'd was for many Ages punctually maintain'd Surely then that Prince according to this Rule and President cannot be properly term'd just who maketh no Conscience of such solemn Engagements as he is led to by his Coronation-Oath and the Principles of Honour and Equity These Gibeonites liv'd safely and happily for many Years under the Protection of Joshua's and the Princes of Israel's first Covenant till such time as King Saul over exalted by Reflections on his own Power and Greatness scorn'd to pay any farther deference to that Ancient and long established Chariter but to curry favour with the People inhumanly slew Multitudes of those poor Wretches notwithstanding they were now become Members of the true Church It is ridiculous Flattery to instill into the Ears of Prince that they are superiour to the Obligations of their Vows Grants and Promises and it is as much repugnant to the Truth of Christianity to perswade them that any earthly Power can dispense with abrogate or disanull such sacred and solemn Engagements as they at any time make from their Thrones unto their People Such as pretend otherwise would acquit themselves more honourably would they tell the World that the Ceremonies of a Coronation-Oath once perform'd there remains no farther Obligation on the Crowned Person to be Just and Faithful Had such plain Dealing been used when time was the Dispute about the Succession had found many less Advocates than it did To return to the Gibeonites and from God's Abdicating Saul therewith considered we may observe that when ever they who in the honesty and simplicity of their hearts rely'd on the Honour and Faith of Solemn Promises were by their too easie credulity abused and thereupon appealed unto the unerring Justice of the Almighty they constantly found relief It was likely their Addresses were kept or thrown out of the Courts of such violent Princes yet their bitter Cries and their innocent Blood pierced the Heavens and he with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning was very
Slaves and Vassals than like a Free People or God's Heritage That this was foretold of Saul the 18 Ver. makes appear where it is said Ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye shall have chosen What Fancy or Good will could these People have for a King of whom they had received so terrible an Account by God's holy Prophet yet read Ver. 19. all this moved them not but they persisted saying but we will have a King Who could have thought the Jews to be so stupid and senseless Yet we have heard others that match them crying out we will have a King we will have the Crown descend in the Right Line notwithstanding more dangerous Circumstances than these foretold of Saul were notoriously apparent in the Successour But what shall we say some are yet madder than Jews and they are such who once groaned under Saul's Persecution and yet when God who had punished them by granting their desire was pleased to relieve them for he did as is said Hosea 13.11 gave them a King in his anger and took him away in his wrath Instead of saying the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away and blessed be the name of the Lord we hear them blowing their Trumpets with Traitor Sheba and saying we have no part in David nor inheritance in the Son of Jesse Thus much of the Person Rejected turn we now our Eyes to the Person Elected His Name was David or Beloved he was indeed endowed with such wonderful Abilities and Perfections as were sufficient to conciliate the Love of all but Monsters Much I need not speak for the Scripture is every where so plentiful in his Commendation however you may take notice that you may the better judge of Sheba's unworthy Desertion 1. That this King David of whom Sheba and his wicked Crew was so weary was a King of God's chusing The People chose Saul as you read 1 Sam. 8.18 for have Saul they would though forewarn'd of his ill Qualities but God chose David 1 Sam. 16.12 When David appeared the Lord said unto Samuel arise anoint him for this is he Whoso readeth the first Verse of that Chapter will find Samuel something loth to go upon the Employment of Anointing a new King but he was not so backward but God was as urgent asking him How long wilt thou mourn for Saul Samuel mourned not for Saul's Deposition but Impenitence otherwise he had shewed himself discontented with what God had done which be it far from us to imagine however we may see God likes not too much Lamenting the Person he had Rejected how then would he have taken it if Samuel had made any Attempts to restore such an one I should have thought if the Troop of Non-Jurors had drawn up against this Text they would have been utterly routed but they never discover'd this Enemy We cannot now expect that God should give such plain and positive Directions as formerly in the Elections of Kings yet are we not left without all Rule for surely when we see unconceivable Hindrances remov'd when we see that all that Force Wit and Power can do miraculously disappointed and that the way to the Throne as inaccessible as it was thought made smooth and easie without Blood Treachery or Cruelty what can we say less than that God hath done all this in favour of his Chosen In plain terms we are taught by our Religion to ascribe all good Things to God because every good Gift cometh from him Who then dare say this is not a good and a great Gift that God hath given us viz. a Wise and Valiant Prince and with him a new Lease and I hope a very long one of our Religion Laws and Liberties 2. Another Particular manifesting Sheba's Complaint to be unjust and the alienating Israel's Hearts from David to be traiterous is David was not only chosen of God but he was the better of the two 1 Sam. 15.28 Samuel told Saul that God had not only rent the Kingdom from him but that he had given it to a Neighbour of his who was better than him I cannot but take notice of this pious Courage in God's Priest he was neither Son of Fear nor Slave of Flattery he could not call a wicked Saul a most gracious and Religious King but he told him that God had chosen a better not that David was so much Saul's Better by Nature as Grace for God had given him a better Spirit more obedient and ready to do the Will of God and set forth his Glory in Governing of the People committed to his charge in Godliness Peace and Wealth So much did David excell Saul that he is said to be a man after Gods own Heart 1 Sam. 13.14 and as St. Paul in his Sermon at Antioch 13. Acts 22. adds which shall fulfill all thy Will Hence it is easie to know who is the King of God's Election or the King after God's own Heart namely he that delighteth in doing the Will of God he that upholdeth true Religion Justice and Honesty in his Dominions which are agreeable to the Will of God David was really much better than Saul not so much in regard of his extraordinary Endowments as his gracious Performances we find 78 Psal 72. he fed God's People according to the Integrity of his heart he gave them not Stones for Bread he guided them by the skilfulness of his hands he provided faithfully for his Subjects he guided them by the best of Counsel and defended them by the utmost of his Power he neither sold nor betray'd them he neither enslav'd nor impoverish'd them 2 Sam. 8.15 he executed Judgment and Justice unto all his People so that there was no crying out nor complaining for want of Justice in the Streets of Jerusalem Before David's time Religion was unsettled the Ark was always shifting from place to place but by David it was settled at Jerusalem Surely it is a remarkable Happiness and such as may render a Government blessed and acceptable to have Religion settled that we halt not between two Opinions being in some places permitted to worship God and in others called to adore Jeroboam's Calves We read indeed Ezek. 11.11 of some Princes that accounted their chief Cities as Cauldrons and their People as Flesh to be sod therein Unhappy the People that are in such a Case and yet the time was our City was a Furnace and heated sufficiently to consume the Inhabitants as well as their Goods and Houses Jezabel had no other Opinion of Kingly Power than that it gave the Possessor a free liberty of doing what he would right or wrong and therefore when Ahab made a Conscience of taking away Nabal's Vineyard she accosted him saying 1 Kings 21.7 Dost thou now govern the Kingdom of Israel I fear she was not the last Queen that tempted a King to the Abuse of his Power Who can believe that God will ever permit his Power to be turned upon himself and such Princes