things sometimes setting up a good Prince for the Encouragement of Godliness and to bring Honor and Repute to Vertue and Religion and sometimes permitting an ill Governour and a Tyrant to possess the Throne for a Tryal of Constancy and to reclaim the Vices of a long Peace and Luxury Thus then Power and Dominion being a Derivative thing from God and a communicated Ray of that Eternal Empire whereby he governs all things both in Heaven and Earth and has the sole Right to do so it being a part of God's own Sovereignty invested in Man which places him in a Seat of Eminency above others it plainly follows that those may well enough be styl'd by the Name of Gods who have this Divine Authority committed to them The Second thing is to shew the Manner and Platform of their Government how they ought to deport themselves in the Management of it And that is seeing their Power is something from God a Beam and part of the Heavenly Majesty they ought so to behave themselves in all Cases as God himself would do if he should personally appear for that Action They ought to disingage themselves from all partial Affections and Interests and follow the free Dictates of Mind and Reason as they are farther assisted by the Spirit of God for the Holy Spirit of God adapting himself to the different Necessities of Men must needs be suppos'd to be more plentifully present with those that are in the more difficult Circumstances of a high Station they ought I say to acquit themselves from the Straitness of self and all private Suggestions and maintain a larger Sphere of Action only look upon the Justice of things and the Expediency of them to the Publick Good But to speak more particularly and in express Instances First then a good Governour upon this Divine Platform must be very careful and make it the main Scope of his Endeavors to promote the Wellfare of those that are under his Charge and Government And this is only a Transcript from the Heavenly Pattern if we consider the several Methods of Divine Providence the Actings and Process of it ever since the beginning we may plainly discern this That its perpetual Design was to advance the only Good of Mankind viz. To draw them off from their sinful practises and establish vertue and the right worship of God where vice and idolatry did reign before And that Governour that would be like God whose Power and Authority he is endued withal must have this end and project in all his Actions to carry on the publick Good and advance the Benefit of those that are committed to him He must have no particular Reserve of Self in any of his Proceedings but move in a larger Compass and intend his whole purpose and endeavors to a general Advantage or rather he may consult Self-Interest as much as he pleases if he determine Self aright not to the sensual as most men do but to the rational part of him and then apply Interest only to those things that bring Benefit and Advancement to that It is a great Mistake to think that the Good of the People can at any time clash and be inconsistent with the Good of the Governor And that Ruler that entertains this Notion is certainly an ill Man and sets up the Desires of Sence as the Rules of Action in Opposition to the free Results of Mind and Reason Good is a general thing and has no particular Confinement in it but is adapted and suitable to all Men. The same Good diffuses it self through Prince and People and if it be not for the Advantage of both it is but a false Notion and no real Good The true Interest of the Prince cannot be any seperate thing from that of the People The Advancement of Vertue and the true Religion which is the only universal Good is that alone which establishes the Throne and makes the Government facile and tenable This Good concerns Princes as well as private Men and if at any time they carry on things that have not this Tendency in them they manage a Project against themselves and 't is some sensual Appetite and mistaken Self that is the Cause of it This then ought to be a strong Motive to Princes to intend the publick Good seeing by this means alone they can obtain and secure that which is truly so to themselves and they ought to design this in all their proceedings if they will imitate him who conferr'd their Power upon them And as God Almighty often carries on that which his infinite Wisdom discerns to be the Good of Mankind by Methods contrary to the Carnal Desires and Will of Man as by several kinds of Afflictions and the like So a good Prince when he meets with an ill inclined People that have not their Minds set upon Good he ought to make use of his Authority from Heaven and even contrary to their Will and Inclination force them to the Observance of right things such as he sees expedient for them although never so great Troubles attend the Enterprize This then is the First Divine Character of a good Governour That he ought by all means to carry on and endeavour the universal Good of the People under him A 2d duty that belongs to Magistrates in Imitation of him from whom their Power cometh is an Universal Justice both as it relates to God and Man And 1st as to that part of Justice that relates to God we must endeavour with all Diligence to maintain the great Respect and Honor that is due unto him And this God himself takes care to vindicate Isai 42.8 I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another neither my Praise to Graven Images And 't is very observable in the whole Complex of the Prophets that the many Methods of Providence that have been made use of in the World have all of them tended to this viz. To draw men off from Idolatry and Superstition to the Worship of the only true God And that they should also worship him in Spirit and in Truth This is his Glory that has always been the great Exercise of his Wisdom to keep up and maintain in the World viz. the true profession of his Name and the practice of Vertue that is consequent to it And this is indeed the Glory of God and that alone which brings Honour to him when Men by their manner of Living express the Divine Perfections and make them confess'd and believ'd in the World when by their Conformity to the Laws of God they declare his infinite Wisdom and Goodness in proposing such Heavenly Rules of Action When by their careful declining all Sin both in Thought and Deed and the exact Holiness of their Lives they plainly signifie the Omniscience of God that he sees the most secret Designs of Man together with the spotless Purity of his Nature That Holiness only becometh the Righteous Lord and is acceptable to him
A SERMON Preached upon the first occasion AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS GRACE JOHN Duke of LAVDERDALE IN THE Chappel at Ham. By JOHN GASKARTH his late Graces Chaplain and Fellow of Pembroke-Hall in Cambridge I have said yee are Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nazian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. LONDON Printed for Walter Kettilby at the Bishop's Head in St. Paul's Church-yard 1683. TO HER GRACE ELIZABETH DUTCHESS OF LAUDERDALE Madam THIS Sermon being Preached in your Graces Audience upon that common occasion of grief that affected us all and several Persons of Honour and Quality that then heard it urging me to make it thus publick I thought it would be at least a very proper Presumption humbly to offer and Dedicate it to your Grace your Grace being so related both to the great Subject and the unworthy Composer of it who indeed should have been more considerable and proportionate to such an Argument as very rarely happens and is the Work of many Ages to produce However it has had that civility in its rudeness of addressing to your Grace that it has intermitted a little till time had something moderated a very intense Mourning and rendered your Grace more capable of considering in general and especially of perusing a Discourse of this nature If this can please your Grace when it appears upon Ink and Paper as well as it once did when 't was spoken I may boldly venture it into the World and have no Apprehension what the most Critical Observer can say against it As to that part of it which is proper it being such manifest truth as your Grace can best testifie is not capable of any censure unless it be because it is naked truth without due cloathing or Ornament But this I hope will be an advantage to it and make it more authentickly accepted that it addresses directly to the Vnderstanding and not by the mediation of Fancy which so misrepresents things according to the fine Words and Dresses in which they are objected to it Madam what I shall add more is only to recommend you most heartily to the Care and Blessing of God Almighty which shall ever be the constant expression of that Duty that is owing to your Grace by your Graces Most Faithful Servant JOHN GASKARTH The Preface to the Reader MY Lord Duke of Lauderdale dying at Tunbridge wells on St. Bartholomew's day 1682. his Body after embalming was brought to his own Chappel at Ham where it remained for some considerable Time privately the State of that sad Solemnity being reserved for another Place At length after several Weeks it was conveyed by Sea into Scotland his Graces native Country to be deposited in a * Called Lauder Church where is the Mansion-House and Seat of the Family and from whence the Title Church of his own erecting After which against our next convening in that wonted place of worship I thought 't was no more than a necessary Observance both to the dead and living to prepare something that might answer such a Circumstance Accordingly I composed this Discourse that I now present to thee and the time of our first assembling there being on a Sunday I then preached it and altho' it had not all the external Formalities of a Funeral Sermon yet as to the Matter and Design of it it was so and I believe the very being in that Place and Service where he always was such a constant Attendant and then observing his Seat empty without the perpetual Ornament of it at such times was a sight as affecting to any of his Acquaintance as if they had had the outside of a Coffin to contemplate before them especially when from its late Removal thence their Fancy might easily restore that Want and represent it to them and indeed could scarce prevent if they had been most industrious in it the doing so But altho this be a sufficient Reason to justifie a Funeral Sermon at a distance that which more forcibly determined my Thoughts this way was my deserved honour to this great Person that while Particulars were fresh and ready I might raise up a Pillar or Monument of him in my Mind which might preserve his Memory against the Deluge or destroying Nature of After-times I speak in respect of my self let my life last as long as it will that it should compass this effect upon others I dare not presume Indeed that there should be some standing History of such a Person that would so compleatly furnish and so well deserves one is very requisite and I wish a better and more knowing Relator of him to that purpose The things here mentioned are only such as concern the goodness and probity of his Disposition and does not declare the particular Instances of it how he exerted it into Action in all the Branches of his publick Affairs which would make up a just Volume and which may boldly offer themselves to the Judgment of all serious and Honest Men yet in order to make some advance towards such an effect this I shall say for the present Composure in the extent of it what soever opinions it may meet withall that 't is done in great Sincerity is only Truth for Truths suke and not any Dictate or Influence of any secular Advantage the Topicks that I have insisted upon were my own repeated Observation and were farther confirmed to me by the Learned D. Hicks my Predecessor in the Happiness of Living with his Grace and who enjoyed it longer then I did And I am certain what I have say'd of this Subject will be most readily assented to by all that had any true knowledg of him and let those consider who meerly upon the suspicious Report of Fame that is always prejudic'd to great Men censure him and knew him not kow unreasonable they are and whether they do as they would be done by All that I can think of such Persons is that they are perfect Heathens they want the Gospel Charity which in Truth is the distinguishing Note and the Whole of our Religion and so persecute the Christians as they used to do That this comes forth so late at such a distance from the occasion of it besides several impediments that I could tell thee of one of which hinted in the Dedication thou art chiefly to blame a Countrey Life if thou thinkest fit to blame any thing upon that account which was in some remoteness from the Press Farewell A SERMON PREACHED AT HAM Upon the first Occasion after the Death of The Lord Duke of Lauderdale PSALM 82. ver 6 7. I have said yee are Gods and yee are all the Children of the Most High But yee shall Die like Men. THIS Psalm is an Advice to Princes those that are plac't in the Magistracy and Government of the People that they have a Special Care to be Just and Righteous in their high Commissions that they make Truth and Equity the sole measure of all their Actions and only respect the Merit of
not such a one as is only the Impression of their present Circumstance but a constant temper of Spirit that will manfully stand out against the like Temptations for the time to come I say these things being to be considered which are not discernable to Humane Wisdom 't is safer to omit these Instances of Pitty and leave them to God's Infallible Judgment in the due Process of Law lest otherwise they bring the Sins of others upon themselves and moreover occasion much mischief in the World by pardoning and affording farther opportunity to one that will return to his former Wickedness And besides this ought to be taken notice of in this action the Incouragement and Presumption that it gives to the like Offences This then is another mark of a good Governour one that copies out the Author of his Power and Dominion to exercise an Impartial Justice and use the same measure of proceeding indifferently towards all But 4thly Another Divine Character that he is to express is meekness and gentleness towards such Offences as only concern himself and his own Particular For altho' he is obliged to distribute these measures of Justice to others without any defect or abatement yet if he will truly imitate the Original of his Power he ought to be patient and long suffering in respect of personal abuses to be inclinable to Mercy and Pardon and always forgive as often as the State of things and the reason of Government will permit it God thus proclaims himself and our own experience will sufficiently convince us of the truth of it Exod. 34.6 And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed the Lord God merciful and Gracious Long-Suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Thus Holy David expresles him The Lord is full of Compassion and Mercy Long-Suffering and of great goodness he will not always be chiding and so on And the Prophet Joel declares him to be slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil Cap. 2.13 And Nehemiah in the same words Cap. 9.17 Thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful slow to anger c. This is the proper result of his Nature and therefore this as all actions proceeding from an inward form and principle must needs do affords him the most affecting pleasure and satisfaction Micah 7.18 He pardoneth Iniquity He retaineth not his Anger for ever because he delighteth in Mercy And St. James the 2.13 Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment Indeed God pardons none but upon the necessary qualification of a true Repentance but he applies his Long-Suffering to many Sins unrepented of and passes them by without any remarkable displeasure declared upon them and perhaps seeing he has appointed a day in the which he will Judge the World he might defer the due punishment of all Sin till that dreadful day come and inflict nothing upon it besides its own inseparable evils those which it carries in its own Bosom unless there were some important Reason to determine him otherwise For our Sins do not force him to any immediate revenge they being not possibly able to disturb him or intermit his Repose and Happiness for the least moment If we sin what do we against him If our Transgressions be Multiplyed what do we unto him Our Wickedness may hurt a Man as we are Job 35.6.8 Now therefore in this case to be more satisfied or at least to think probably concerning the ways of God what Sins he will immediately punish and what he will pass by we must consider God not only as a Seperate Being from his Creatures but as the Just and wise Governor of them and observe what he is obliged to from this Relation And hence we may discern that sin not terminating upon God only but also reflecting upon men and deriving a certain Malignity among them There are several instances of it which having a more spreading contagion in them cannot be conniv'd at in any single Person without doing injury and prejudice to the whole which is not competent with God's Government And therefore all open and bold wickedness because this being permitted does by degrees lessen and destroy the notions of the Divine Purity and Holiness in the World and so more forceably invites Men to the same Practices upon this ill Conclusion from Impunity that either God approves them or is not greatly offended at them Malach. 2.17 Isay all open and bold-wickedness is commonly followed with more remarkable Judgments upon it especially in those that stand in a nearer Relation to God as the Jews above the Heathens and perhaps the Ministers of the Altar above other Christians And this whole thing is set down by David Psal 50. where after he had mentioned the many Enormities of that People that were in Special Covenant with him ver 18. When thou sawest a Thief thou consentedst unto him and hast been Partaker with the Adulterers He adds These things hast thou done and thou thoughtest wickedly that I am even such an one as thy self thou thoughtest by this Connivance and delay of Punishment that I was no more Holy nor Righteous than thou but I will reprove thee and set before thee the things that thou hast done And perhaps Hypocrisy when Iniquity is concealed and dissembled under a specious appearance this not affording such an example and influence in the World is not upon this account so obnoxious to God's Immediate Punishment indeed this we may observe for the truth of this notion that in the whole complex of Scripture Punishments are not so frequently denounced upon this as upon open Impieties And I am apt to believe that God never inflicts any open and immediate Punishment upon Sin in this World he allowing his Creatures all the enjoyments that can be altho many of them chuse them in an ill kind and still patiently affording them space of Repentance most likely till their Disposition for it be quite destroyed through Vitious Habits I say I am apt to believe that God never inflicts any open and Immediate Punishment upon Sin in this World but when it is necessary for the Publick good to reclaim others by such an Example from the like Offences Now a good Prince that observes the pattern that God gives him in this Respect must not be over Critical to revenge Injuries but always signifie a Disposition that is apt to Pardon and generously pass by all personal Affronts and Reflections upon himself unless only such as being of that high Aggravation takes away his necessary esteem among the People and so renders him incapable of promoting any good or advantage to them And this Clemency exprest to less offences will be the most effectual means to prevent and escape them for the time to come it will be accounted such a base action to abuse a Prince of this Heavenly Temper that it must needs raise the Resentment and Odium of all Men upon the Authors of it
they will fasten such a Character of Shame and Disingenuity upon them that the very Clemency of the Prince and the just occasion of Disgrace that it gives will be a sufficient Punishment to them I say this Gentle Temper in Princes begets the strongest Love and Esteem of them in the minds of the People which makes the best security against all Injuries and therefore this may be an Argument from Policy as well as Divinity to these mild Proceedings And in the Fifth place that he may be more successful in his Government both as to the Advancement of Religion and the right Worship of God and also to the promoting of good Morals and Honesty among his People he must imitate the Author of his Power in another Attribute and that is his Holiness Be ye holy for I am holy does especially belong to Governours who have another Image and Resemblance of God to express in the World than the rest of Men and Christians have He must be sure to give an Example in himself of those Vertues that he should maintain and propagate That of the Apostle Shew thy self a Pattern of good Works Titus 2.7 and also 1 Tim. 4.12 Be thou an Example of the Believers in Word in Conversation in Charity in Spirit in Faith in Purity together with 1 Pet. 5.3 Not as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Ensamples to the Flock altho' spoken concerning Bishops and Pastors of the Church yet upon the same Reason belongs to all Rulers in general of what kind soever whether their Province be Spiritual or Temporal There are many Men that cannot look into the inward Nature and Pulchritude of Vertue and make that the Influence of their Practice but are wholly taken up with the Externals of it the Credit or Disrepute that it is in from great Examples and so manage themselves accordingly As also Ambition of great Places or perhaps the bare Desire of being better stated with their Governour or in his more special Respect and Favour puts abundance more into this Circumstance of conforming to his Instance And therefore it often happens that the whole City is of the same Complexion with its Ruler whether he incline to Vice or Vertue But alas this is the Difference the Desires of Body which the greater number of Men place their whole Satisfaction in not being acquainted with Spiritual Enjoyments makes the Pattern on the worse side more spreading I shall not enlarge upon this Argument only translate a passage of Tully in his third Book de Legibus 18.19 which as it has the Advantage of Sence above any thing I can say from my self so it carries more of Authority with it As by the licentious Life and Vices of Princes says he the whole City is commonly infected so by their Continence and better Morals it is advanced to the same Vertues That great man and our Friend Lucullus when the Stateliness of his House at Tusculum was with some Reflection objected to him made this Answer which satisfied many That whereas his two Neighbours the more honourable of them being but a Knight and the other only a Freeman had very stately Mansions that Magnificence must needs be allowed to him which was permitted to those so much his Inferiours But it seems Lucullus did not observe that he himself was the Cause of their State to whom if he had not been guilty of it it would have been neither lawful nor tolerable for who would have endured them to have enjoyed such pompous Houses who would not rather have broken them down and destroyed them unless those who were most obliged to do so had given their Example and Authority for the having of them For that is not so great an Evil that Princes are vicious altho it be a great one as that other is that many are drawn into an Imitation of them For one may observe quite through the Histories of all times that howsoever qualified the Chief Men of the City were such was the City it self in a little while and every Change of Manners in Princes did induce the same in the People by how much ill Princes do worse deserve of their Countrey not only that they follow Vice themselves but because they infuse it into their Subjects and not only do harm that they are corrupted but that they corrupt others as it were making Sin Authentick by their practise of it Thus Rulers are obliged to maintain good Works even for these necessary uses that they may thus bring Vertue into Esteem and Honour among the People Good Princes have a Reward and share in all the Vertues of those that are under them by the Command and Influence of their own Piety And in respect of their after State may ascribe that of the Prophet to themselves they advancing the same thing by their Example viz. Those that turn many unto Righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Dan. 12.3 And this will enhaunce their Punishment if they be vicious and so much the more as Vice or an ill Pattern having the stronger Appetites of Body to advocate for it is more prevalent and dilates farther It is an easie effect of Vice to derive it self in a large Compass upon those suitable Inclinations that are in all men but the propagation of Vertue is a more difficult thing and requires a more than ordinary Example for the Success of it there being that violent Opposition of Sence to move against which is the prevailing Principle in most Men and which cannot be subdued or kept under in any without intense Labour and incessant Striving at least till a Habit have render'd the Business more facile But this should not deter a good Magistrate that considers his Heavenly Rule and Pattern from an Holy Instance but rather the more easie and influential Vice is the more cautious should this make him of acting it before his many Spectators or giving it the advantage of his high Example And the more difficult Vertue is or contrary to the Temper of most Men if he will satisfie his just Obligations to God and the People under him the more industriously ought he to assert it and with more vigour endeavour to gain Credit and Authority to it from the Uprightness of his own Actions This indeed requires Valor as all other his due Proceedings do And therefore in the Sixth place seeing that Magistrates are commissioned by God are his Deputies and Ministers of his Kingdom among Men as much as concerns the visible part of things they ought to be very couragious and resolute in the just Management of their high Province It is God's own Command and Counsel to them You shall not be afraid of the Face of Man for the Judgment is the Lords Deut. 1.17 That is seeing they manage God's Cause and Government in the World and upon this account are obliged to the most impartial Justice and Equity in all their Proceedings they ought to be valiant for the Truth even unto Death