We may judge of the force that Religion has by the combining nature of Superstition and Will-worship which as Lactantius observes is but verae Religionis unitatrix it makes men all of one mind and judgment Pignoratos reddit animos it causeth them to pawn their Souls and Affections and Estates also one to another Herod and Pilate though desperate enemies before were then made friends when Christ was to be crucified Old Rome will dye to the last man pro aris focis new Rome is at this day as zealous for her new-coined Devotions and will unite all the World over against those whom they are pleased to Damn for Hereticks The Jews stand as stifly to the Traditions of their Forefathers the Rabbins and Doctors of their Church as the Turks to the Precepts of their Alcoran or we to the Old and New Testaments Now if the name of Religion though it be false carrieth with it such Magical force and power to how much more may true Religion pretend He that reads the History of the Ten Persecutions when the native and simple beauty of Religion ravished the Souls of those blessed Martyrs will easily believe that she is strong and mighty as well as amiable and lovely The pacifick argument which Abraham urgeth to Lot when there was discord between their herds-men was this That they were of the same Religion Gen. 13.8 Let there be no strife I pray thee between me and thee between my herds men and thy herds-men for we be brethren Hoc est Fide Religione and the more cogent was his request because the Canaanite and the Perizite men that were strangers to God and Religion dwelt then in the Land No sooner had the influence of it touch'd the Souls of the Three thousand Acts 2.44 but they were together and had all things common I confess when Religion began to grow into Faction then sprang up Divisions a parting of Minds and Souls as well as of Purses and Estates then was the Common of Christianity turn'd into inclosures when one cries out I am of Paul another I am of Apollos a third I am for Caephas and a fourth I am for Christ that is neither for Ministers nor Ordinances but only for Jesus and his Spirit But who dar'st impute this to Religion when St. Paul tells you it proceeds from the flesh 1 Cor. 3.4 For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal But the glory of true Religion will be more apparent If you observe 1. That she is a most perfect piece of Beauty and therefore of her own nature attractive for love to its proper object is strong and never at rest till it does transire in amatum the drawing out of those lines of Perfection upon her was not trusted to the pencil of Apelles or the curious finger of any Mortal but the unerring hand of God himself nor was there any Copy or Exemplar to draw by but himself he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Original of her Perfection in her shineth forth his Wisdom Goodness Mercy Patience Justice Purity and all other communicable Virtues to the Sons of Adam All other Beauties in respect of this are but tenebrae What you see in the vaulted Heavens which made the holy Prophet admire the beauty of Sun Moon and Stars what you see upon Earth in the Spring when nature has put on her rich embroidery whatever can be said of or for Riches Honours Pleasures Preferments in the World are nothing in comparison of her loveliness If that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which St. Paul speaks of 1 Cor. 14. the exact and comely disposition of the Worship of God could be found in our Assemblies where all persons with one consent should offer up their Spiritual Sacrifices to Almighty God Angels would rejoyce and delight to joyn with us and make up the Chorus of sweet-fingers in Israel Papists would no longer have occasion to say that we are Fracti corde ore The sober part of Dissenters that have truely tender Consciences would no longer keep at a distance you would then see the Antepast of Eternity when Religion shall ascend the Meridian of her Glory where there shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same sound and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all sweetly together singing Hallelujahs to their King That which spoileth the beauty of our Service now is want of Order as the most exact piece of Beauty may be ill drawn or the best Dish of meat spoil'd with ill cooking Those Factions and Divisions which are amongst us the slovenly and nasty carriage of many that come to our Assemblies and of them also which wait upon the Altar represent Religion deformed made up of disproportion so that St. Paul's Infidel if he should come amongst us cannot say the Lord is with us of a truth Secondly True Religion is most rational answering the Philosophy of Man's Nature and the Ends of Discourse I know some Mysteries of our Religion are supra rationem that a Virgin should bring forth a Son that the same should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the dead should rise again c. but none of these are contra rationem If you take Religion in a large sense as she comprehendeth all Virtues nothing can be more reasonable than her demands To fear God to love our neighbour to be humble and meek to honour our parents to pray for our enemies What can be more reasonable God has now taken away the rigor and severity of the Law and given us a yoke to bear which is more easie and the burthen more light And if I come nearer the Text you 'l find it to be the purest reason that God should have the fattest of the flock for his portion the most ingenuous and holy observance in his Worship the most exact order and decency in our approaches to him which St. Paul calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.1 Now if Religion be thus rational in all her demands it must also be of a knitting and cementing quality Reason being the substratum of all Societies of all Converse between man and man And if we add to this the sweetness of her Nature exactly answering the Conversation of our Blessed Saviour when upon Earth his Love Affability Candor Humility nothing certainly can better attract and draw the Souls of reasonable men than Religion The Professors of it I confess are sometimes morose and cynical not at all inviting in their behaviour but the fault of them cannot be imputed to our Religion which though it does correct yet does it not utterly remove the frowardness of our Nature Thirdly It is delicate and spiritual so attenuate that it can penetrate the Soul ravish the Thoughts and command the Conscience with a holy and sweet Violence Good and bad Angels as they are Spirits have a power to suggest good or bad thoughts Of this refined substance is true Religion and the Character given of
the Word of God by the Author to the Hebrews Chap. 4.12 That it is quick and powerful sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit joynts and marrow may very properly represent the power which she has upon the souls of men all which are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laid open and naked before her When St. Paul had established Order in the Church of Corinth he prophesieth of the converting and convincing power that it would have upon the Conscience 1 Cor. 14.24 He is convinced of all he is judged of all and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest c. At least it has a convincing power and he that is the most debauched upon the face of the earth is forced to shut his eyes as not able to behold the lustre and beauty of true Religion Thus have we taken a short view of the Nature of Religion it will now be time to review it in the special influence it has upon the persons mentioned in the Text God the King and the People First then Kings are God's Representatives upon Earth they bear his Image in a peculiar manner The worst and most wicked of them declare his severity in the punishments which they inflict upon offenders with a liberal hand their Crowns and Scepters show the absolute Dominion and Rule which he exerciseth over all the Thrones which they sit upon his Glory and Majesty their vast attendance Officers and Servitors signifie an innumerable company of Angels which as winged Messingers attend the first notice of his Will But alas this representation of God is but imperfect we see indeed part of his Glory but no part of his Beauty rather his back parts than his face Men care not much to see Jehovah cloathed in the Robes of his strength and power in the Altitudes of his Majesty and Greatness the sight of him in this manner seems terrible like his appearance upon Mount Sinai when he gave forth his Law in lightning and thunder But the beauties of God's face which render him most acceptable to the sons and daughters of Adam are conveyed to us only by a Religious Prince where Justice and Mercy Greatness and Goodness Glory and Grace are so sweetly commixed and attempered that both Original and Copy Substance and Shadow God and the King are honoured and adored by all Such a Prince as this St. Cyprian calls Animatam Dei imaginem the Picture of God drawn out to the life and though there were no other reason yet upon this account he must be conjunctissimus Deo For as it is but just and equal that God should love himself first and best because there can be no object so perfect as himself so is it but rational to believe that next to himself he will love those best who come nearest his Image and represent him most amiable to the World Nor is it improbable that this is one choice reason why David is called a Man after God's own heart viz. because he did not only as a Prophet declare the Glory and Excellency of the divine Majesty but as a King in his Religious and Holy Conversation publish the same Secondly Princes are Sacred Persons uncti Domini the Lord 's anointed the worst as well as the best as well Nero as David as well Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin as Solomon for there is no power saith the Apostle but of God he is the Fountain and Original of all But Religious Kings are Sacro-sancti as they have devoted themselves to the Honour of their great Lord and Master This maketh the Almighty so careful and tender of their welfare that not the weight of a finger must lye upon them without a curse saying Touch not mine anointed And it seems by the custom of Heathens to be a principle in Nature for it was usual with them to make Virtuous and Renowned Princes the companions of the Gods Referre eos in numerum Deorum to reckon them amongst the Gods Divisum imperium cum Jove Caesar habet The Greeks and especially their Poets had as Phantastical opinions of their Hero's and Demons they phancied their departure out of this world to be a Translation only for presently you find them amongst the Gods of near relation to Jupiter Jove Satus Jove Ortus Homer abounds in such instances The Church of Rome though she has no great respect for Emperors and Kings yet the homage which old Rome paid to their Princes she offers to her Saints whom though she denieth to Deifie yet at least she Divifies and too liberally gives them Divine Worship By all these instances you may see as in a glass how wonderfully Religion does exalt a person especially a Prince in the love of the Almighty placing him under the direct beams of his Power and Goodness Thirdly Religious Princes are ex naturâ Dei partakers of the divine Nature I said ye are Gods I confess all Princes are so virtute officii but Religious Princes ex naturâ rei as they are in an extraordinary manner spirited and furnished by God for Government their Souls usually are larger by far than other mens their hearts are deeper Saul the first King of Israel is sent to the School of the Prophets and there taught to prophecy before he wears the Crown or sways the Scepter His Successor David was also a Prophet indued with a noble and divine Spirit The Wise man tells us Prov. 25.3 That the hearts of Kings are unsearchable not to be fathom'd Moses was possess'd of this glorious Spirit it had been otherwise impossible to have govern'd that stubborn and unruly people which at last tired our his patience and it is worthy observation when God was pleased to ease him of some part of the burthen Numb 11.17 he spake thus to him I will come down and talk with thee and will take off the Spirit which is upon thee and will put it upon them and they shall be as the burthen of the people with thee In all these respects Religious and Holy Princes as Menander observes are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Images of God and therefore they must be nigh unto him and he unto them Secondly As true Religion does unite God and the King so also the King and the People First As it maketh the heart of a Prince truly noble and generous for there is no School that can so excellently improve a Prince as true Religion no Precepts so refined to furnish him with Wisdom for all parts of Government no policy so true and successful no learning does so exactly and precisely declare the duties of the one to the other as the Word of God so that what Prince soever he be that takes pleasure to govern according to those Rules must needs be magnified in the eyes of his Subjects These are the men that best deserve the names of Patres Patriae to be reverenced honoured and esteemed of all What a
tender regard had the children of Israel for David by no means must he endanger his Person in the battel for in their eye he was more worth than ten thousand of them Good Josiah did better deserve the name of Delicium humani generis than Caesar observe how the people lament him by the lips and eyes of the weeping Prophet Lament 4.20 The breath of our nostrils the anointed of the Lord was token in their nets of whom we said Under his shadow we shall be preserved alive among the heathen Secondly There is imprinted upon the Nature of man a special reverence for Holiness and Religion which you may easily perceive in the common people who tho they seldom understand what true Religion is yet how do they hug and embrace the very rumour and report of it Let Religion beat up a drum and you cannot allay the heat of their spirits they must follow the noise of it This makes Satan in our days put on the appearance of an Angel of light and every jugling Enthusiast will pretend Sanctity and Religion when he designeth to obtrude his own blasphemies upon the World How many miserable Souls are trepan'd into the thraldom of the Romish Church by a Religious blush which sits upon the face of her Worship It was no hard matter for the Scribes and Pharisees to swallow down whole houses under the pretence of Devotion Plutarch in his Politicks gives this advice to Trajâ—â—â—â— the Emperor Venerare Deos per pietatem in coâ—â—m honorem opibus tuis utare magnopere enim multitudo affici solâ—t dum pietatem coram conspiciunt quos maximi ducunt This got Numa Pompilius such an excellent name Quod plurima fana lucosque Deorum dedicavit Thirdly The great design of Christian Religion especially the publick and solemn Worship of God is to render men alike one to another of one heart mind way and life Our prayers are the same that all of us as one man may consent to say Amen Our Discourses either are or should be the same differing in phrase and manner of utterance yet bearing proportion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the wholesome form of sound words We are initiated after the same manner by Baptism into one and the same Church at the Eucharist fed at the same table with the same bread refreshed with the same wine by all incorporated that being one body all the members may have a mutual respect and care one of another St. Paul upon this consideration magnifieth the Christian Religion Eph. 4.3 as keeping the unity of the spirit and commends it in the next words for the power that it carrieth to secure the common interest of love which he calleth the bond of peace the reasonableness of which he evinceth v. 4. There is one body as there is one spirit as likewise ye are called into one hope of your calling One Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in all things The whole body of Religion is comprized in this word Love and we may judge of the sincere professors of it by their conformity to it Thus have I done with the second particular the cementing nature of true Religion The third and last Enquiry is What priviledge the Text alloweth to a Nation or People whilst they are zealous and devout in Religious Worship thus expressed Then shall ye and the King which reigneth over you continue to follow the Lord. In the Original there is nothing at all found for following all that is there expressed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Translators have rendered as you read the Septuagint does not much differ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 walking behind or after the Lord the meaning of which must be that as God when they had no King was their Captain leading forth their Armies and giving them success and victory for this was the great reason they urged for alteration of Government that they might have a King to go out before them and so fight their battels so also upon due observation of Religious Worship by him appointed he would still be their General and under his Banner they should sight victoriously over their Adversaries Now that this blessing is not meerly temporary belonging only to that people but entailed upon Piety and Religion to all generations is evident from the constant care and tender respect he hath continued to his Church to this day for according to his promise that the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it so it is and so it shall be so long as the world endureth And lest it should be objected that Promises of this nature are peculiar to the Church Universal and have no reference to particular Churches or Nations although true Religion be therein professed and incouraged let it be remembered that what belongs to the whole belongs also to the part and though many particular Churches formerly renowned are now utterly extinct as the seven Churches of Asia and many more yet before their ruine they had a charge of notorious crimes drawn up against them and notice of those exterminating Judgments which without repentance would follow God does very rarely if ever deal with Churches or Societies of men as with Individuals these he oftentimes leaveth under dismal and sore afflictions not so much for the demerit of their Sins as the probation of their Graces This was the case of Abraham of Lot in Sodom of holy Job who had this excellent character from God at the very instant when he sealed a Commission to Satan to afflict him that he was an upright and perfect man But who can tell of a Righteous Nation which hath kept inviolate the Judgments and Statutes of Heaven that was ever forsaken by God If you please to look home you will find the never failing Providences of the Almighty to watch over this Kingdom for good so long as we kept our Garments clean so long as Religion flourished and the Corruptions thereof were discountenanced Prosperity attended the long Reign of Queen Elizabeth although the Enemies of our Church were more numerous then and as busie and active as they are now The peaceable bringing in of King James almost to a Miracle was a demonstration of the kindness which God had for a people unanimous for then neither Popery nor Phanaticism were tolerated All the time he reigned both Church and State were in a prosperous condition but as soon as ever extravagant spirits began to break the unity of the spirit by Faction then did God righteously begin to break the bond of peace And it is farther observable that when the Inhabitants of England waxed wanton in their Religion then also did they become immoral loose and debauched in their lives for Superstition Heresie Schism Factions in the Church and Adulteries Fornication Drunkenness Prophaneness in the State are but gemini fratres which come into the world at one and the same time If we look for a reason