to Reign And in this Work he shall be more then a Conquerer through the Power of CHRIST which shall certainly be with Him if He sets about it Coragiously and Manfully not fearing man nor trusting in the Arm of Flesh And this will bring more Glory to GOD and Honour to the KING then if he conquered Nations by the Sword For that destroys but this saves mens Lives and destroys the Iniquity And in this WORK he shall be Greater then William the Conquerer or all the Monarchs of the World and his Fame shall go to the furthermost parts of the Earth And in this Work shall the most HIGH rejoyce And all His Heavenly Host for saith CHRIST There is more Joy in Heaven for one sinner that repents and turns from the Evil of his wayes then in Ninety and Nine Just persons that needs no Repentance And if the KING is faithful to GOD in this Work he shall conquer and overcome all his Enemies for if their Sins be overcome then they are overcome because it is their Sins that causes them to Rebel For from whence comes Wars saith the Apostle come they not from your Lusts Then it seems take away the lusts and Wars will cease so here 's great necesity for the KING to be fervently fixed in this Work to take away the Cause that the Disease may cease And this let the KING know that whomsoever he is made an instrument to in this Work to overcome their Vices their hearts shall be knit to Him as Jonathan's was to David who loved him as his own Soul And that blessed Prophesie of Daniel shall be fulfilled on the KING which saith Blessed are those that turns many to Righteousness for they shall shine as the Stars in the Firmament of GOD'S Power forever And here the KING shall be a Nursing-Father and the QUEEN a a Nursing Mother then more shall be the Children of the desolate then of the married Wife And GOD will bring their Sons from far and their Daughters from the furthermost parts of the Earth yea many People Kingdoms and Nations shall say Come let us go up to the Mountain of the LORD and He will shew us His Ways and we will walk in His Paths Then Endless Praises and Everlasting Halalujahs shall be to GOD on HIGH and on the Earth Peace and Good-will to men But if this Work be not Done there is no Peace to the Wicked saith the LORD But we must expect Wars and Rumours of Wars as CHRIST said and the End not to be yet till the Cause is removed nor can it be Expected that the KING should conquer and overcome his Enemies Abroad whilst his strong and most Potent Enemies Reign at Home And indeed it is unreasonable that the KING should Require that of his LORD and SOVERAIGN the LORD of all MAJESTY to fight his Battels abroad when the KING doth not Execute the Power GOD hath put into his hand at home for the Suppressing That which HIS Righteous Soul abhors And further the Command of GOD is When thou goest out to War with thine Enemies then take heed saith the LORD that there be no wicked thing in Thee Mark that O KING no wicked thing that is not only no Wickedness in the Cause nor no Self-intrest nor Self-honour But no personal Impieties in the Persons that carries it on not only gross Impieties as Drunkenness Whoredom Swearing and the like But all manner of vain and foolish Talking Joaking and Jesting are things not allowed to Christians for if Christians are not allowed to think their own Thoughts how much less Vain Words But Let your Words be few saith CHRIST seasoned with Salt that they may administer Grace to the Hearers And David saith Set a watch before my Mouth and be Thou LORD the Door-keeper of my Lips And saith he I said I will look to my Ways that I offend not with my Tongue Oh! how intent was he saying O GOD my Heart is fixed I will sing c. His mind was staid upon the LORD here was no room for vain words light airy and frothy discourses he abhorred all such Impieties his mind was set on divine things his Affections were set on things Above and not on Earthly things His converse was with GOD and his communion with the HOLY ONE and here he was here on after GOD's own Heart He enjoyed Heaven whilst he was here on Earth for where the presence of the LORD is there is Heaven he loved the LORD dearly and therefore took delight to do His Will and keep His Commandments And by doing this said he Thou hast made me wiser then all my Teachers yea saith he I have more Wisdom then the Ancients And why was it so because GOD was his Teacher O GOD saith he Thou hast taught me from my Youth even until now therefore will I tell of all thy Wonderous Works And because of David's love and faithfulness to GoD the LORD made a Covenant with him and with his Seed for ever That is with the Faithful that loves the LORD and walks in His Ways as David Abraham Isaac and Jacob did And these Holy Ones made a Covenant with the LORD to serve Him all the days of their Lives They did not make a Covenant with Death and Hell as this Generation doth to serve their horrible Lusts and vain wicked Pleasures No no but quite contrary O how I love thy Law saith David it s my Meditation all the day I will wait continually and will praise THEE more and more my Mouth shall daily rehearse thy Righteousness and Thy Sabvation for I know not the sum of them No for they were beyond number Be THOU my strong Rock whereunto I may always resort THOU hast given Commandment to save me for THOV art my Rock and my Fortrest Take notice of that O KING and of what follows viz. Deliver me O my GOD out of the hands of the Wicked out of the hands of Evil and Cruel men for THOU art my Hope O LORD even my Trust from my Youth upon THEE have I been staid from the Womb my Praise shall be always of THEE And THY Righteousness O GOD will I Exalt for THOU hast done great things who is like unto THEE THOV wilt increase mine Honour therefore will I praise THEE for THY faithfulness Vpon the Vial unto THEE will I sing O HOLY ONE of Israel for my Soul hast THOU delivered c. Oh! how David was filled with the living sence of the Goodness of GOD and the ALMIGHTY Exalted in his Soul But What hath the Wicked to do to take My NAME into their Mouths saith GOD seeing they hate My Holy Spirit to inform them They hated all my Counsel and would have none of my Reproof Yet the Atheistical Christians in their unclean Lives and Idolatrous ways sings to the Vial and invents to themselves Instruments of Musick like David although they hate and abhor his Holy Suffering and Self-denying Life by which he obtained the
and from this there 's no man can hinder thee And further this Excellent man Without relation to GOD saith he thou shalt never perform aright any thing humane nor on the other side any thing Divine at what time soever thou wilt it is in thy power to retire into thy self and to be at Rest For a man cannot retire any whither for to be more at rest and freer from all business then to his own Soul Afford then thy self this Retiring continually and thereby refresh and renew thy self D Doble Drince worthy of double Honour And then Exhorting That whatsoever they did might be Just and Holy Neither saith he must he use himself to cut off Actions only but Thoughts and Imaginations also that are unnecessary for so will unnecessary consequent Actions the better be prevented and cut off He is poor that stands in need of another and hath not in himself all things needful for this Life Consider well whether Magnanimity rather and true Liberty and true Simplicity Equanimity and Holiness whether these be not most kind and natural And farther this blessed Prince Let thy GOD that is in thee to rule over thee find by thee that he hath to do with an Aged man a Sociable man a Roman a Prince one that hath ordered his Life as one that expecteth as it were nothing but the sound of the Trumpet sounding a retreat to depart out of this Life with all readiness What is it saith he thou dost stay for an Extinction or a Translation for either of them with a propitious and contented mind but till that time comes what will content thee What else but to Worship and Praise GOD and to do good unto men Here is a President for Kings Queens and Potentates of the Earth to square their Lives by This worthy Prince was more Philosopher than Emperor his Dominions were greater within then without and by his Holy Life and Vertuous Principles was fit to govern the whole World Solon a noble Philosopher and Law-giver to the Athenians was so humble that he refused to be Prince of that People And being asked by Cresus King of Lydia when seated on his Throne Richly clothed and magnificently attended If he had ever seen any thing more Glorious He answered Cocks Peacocks and Pheasants by how much their Beauty is Natural Fly Pleasures saith he for they bring Sorrow Converse not with wicked Persons but meditate on serious things That it was the perfection of a man to fore-see and prevent Mischief That they that would govern a State well must govern their Families well That we ought not to flatter Great men lest we exalt them above their merits and station A Prince saith he must not take up his time about transitory and mortal things Eternal and Immortal are fittest for him O noble PRINCE and PRINCESS I humbly beg of you Observe these Heavenly Maxims Periander Prince and Philosopher would say That Pleasures are Mortal but Vertues Immortal Punish the guilty saith he and restrain men from Sin That Common-wealth is best ordered saith he where the Wicked have no command Therefore most Honoured and most endeared PRINCE and PRINCESS for so you are in my Heart because of the Greatness of GOD's Love which I have received and delivered to you above all before you in my time and shall be so if you receive the Love of GOD administred and put into Practice these His Commands and Precepts first in your own Example and then Executing the Power GOD hath given you which may easily be done by turning out those that will not Obey your just and lawful Commands and put in such in their room that will That the KING and QUEEN may not be guilty of that Iniquity as Saul was guilty of to save alive that which GOD commanded to kill which was the Cause that the Kingdom was rent from him and given to one more worthy that is which did the will of GOD And is the very cause why your Predecessors were turned out before you and you brought in their room to try whether you will do His Will and perform all His good Pleasure which if you do GOD will make you the Glory of Nations For this know O KING QUEEN and that from the LORD the day is come that GOD will have His Will done in Earth as it is in Heaven and that which stands in opposition to it will He overturn and throw the Earth upside-down And all the Monarchs in it will he break to pieces as a Potters-Vessel for the bringing in of His Dominion which is an Everlasting dominion and He shall Reign for evermore Amen And this I humbly Supplicate to the LORD if it may be for the Glory of His Holy Name That the KING and QUEEN may be the worthy Instruments thereof and that they may not be guilty of Saul's Transgression who feared the People and so caused him to break the Commandment of the LORD which proved to his destruction So he paid dear for his fearing the People and the People paid dear for his Rebellion against the Command of GOD for it cost him his Life and thousands more of theirs For here lay the case the command was to slay All but the People counselled him to save the best of the Oxen and Sheep and the chiefest of the things which should have been destroyed to offer to the LORD thy GOD as Saul confessed to Samuel saying I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandment of the Lord and thy Words because I feared the People and obeyed their Voice The writing of this Confession makes my Heart melt and breaks me into Tears the consideration thereof how dangerous a thing it is for any to transgress much more PRINCES the Commands of the LORD in ever so little a thing And Saul's repeating over again the reason why they saved them alive that should have been destroyed was To offer a Sacrifice to the LORD But alas all Coverings will be to short but that which is covered with the Spirit of the LORD in the Day of Account when the Iniquity is brought before the Judgment-seat which must there stand the Tryal to be Arragined and Condemned by the JUDGE of all the Earth No pretence will serve them be it never so specious by the art and cunning of men for indeed what higher could be then pretence of Worshipping GOD to offer Sacrifice to the LORD But what was the LORD's answer Hath the LORD more delight in Sacrifice and Offering then in Obeying the Voice of the LORD To Obey is better than Sacrifice and to hearken to the Voice of the LORD then the Fat of Rams For Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft and Transgression is Wickedness and Idolatry Because thou hast cast away the Word of the LORD therefore hath He cast away thee from being King A heavy sentence and worse recompence of reward for his Life went for theirs Here we may see we need not go to Rome for Idolatry for whosoever
Victory over all his Enemies both within and without And further I assirm in the Name of the LORD that whosoever follows this Way which I by the Spirit of GOD have directed to having the holy Scriptures the Life of Christ His Prophets and Apostles bearing me Record thereunto whosoever puts this Way into Practice shall quickly be without care and shall have no need to go to the best of men for Teaching or Counsel much less to the worst But this I humbly Advise the KING and QUEEN as my own Soul to keep down all Self all your own Knowledge Wisdom and Parts and come before the LORD as a little Child as Christ said This is the state you must come to before you can enter the Kingdom of GOD and this is the state Adam was in before his Fall before he Eat of this forbidden Tree the tree of Knowledge which was never given for Food for saith GOD In the day thou eats thereof thou shalt Surely dye But had he stood in the Will of GOD where he was placed and not have Entred into his own Will and Imaginations there had been no need for the Flaming SWORD to have been placed to keep the way of the Tree of Life The Flaming Sword that turns every way to seperate you from your Lovers and all your Delights before you can Eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of GOD. And this flaming Sword is the Cross of Christ and the holy Cross of Christ is the Power of GOD which must crucifie you to the world and the world to you And when all this is done you must be in the profoundest Humility that ever man or woman was in turning your selves into the very Dust from whence you came and there to be nothing for ever For if You are any thing then GOD the Eternal BEEING cannot be All who is the Alpha and Omega the first and last blessed for ever Amen Yet in this Blessed state are you a drop of that Ocean from whence Endless Blessings flow for saith our LORD and Blessed Saviour Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of GOD. And if you continue loving the LORD with all Your Hearts and with all Your Souls with all Your strength with all Your might But take notice I beseech you HE must have All All your Love and Affection for if any thing else whatsoever hath it besides the LORD you rob GOD of his Right and this is that which will stop the Springs from flowing from this Endless Fountain of Life and Love Therefore I humbly Beseech You in the Bowels of the Love of GOD that Above all things and at all times with all the strength of Your Souls in all Your Thoughts Words and Works that you purely love and intend for the Honour and Glory of GOD who is the Eternal Happiness and Blessedness of all men and your own portion for ever And that you may this the better do you must most strictly Observe your selves within Keep thy Heart saith the Prophet with all diligence for out of it comes the Issues of Life Therefore sink you down into the innermost parts of your Souls and there stop all the out-goings of your minds to any thing but to GOD alone And in silence hear what the LORD saith within you and with JESUS depart from the multitude avoiding all Imployments and multiplicity of Business as much as is possible you shall rest with GOD in unity shutting up all your Sences in quietness continually Praying and calling upon GOD your Eye being fixed on Him as David's was in all your actions you shall enjoy His presence in every Place Time and Thing admitting nothing within your selves but GOD continually that you may continually receive the Heavenly Influence of His divine love into your Souls And as I have the Life and Doctrine of Christ my LORD and all his Holy Ones in former Ages to bear Witness to this my true and faithful Testimony of a holy retired Life so I shall instance one of late years Abraham Cowley who as its reported was a man of sweet and singular Wit great Learning and an even Judgment that had known by large experience what Cities Universities and Courts afford and that not only at home but in divers Nations abroad wearied with the World he broke through all the intanglements of it and which was hardest innumerous Friendship and a perpetual Praise and retired to a solatory Cottage near Barn-Elms whence he gives us this following Doctrine of Retirement and may serve for an account how well he was pleased in his Change The first Work saith he that a man must do to make himself capable of the good of Solitude is the very Eradication of all Lusts for how is it possible for a man to enjoy himself whilst his Affections are tyed to things without himself The first Minister of State hath not so much business in publick as a Wise man hath in private If the one hath little leasure to be Alone the other hath less leasure to be in Company The one hath but part of the Affairs of One Nation the other all the Works of GOD and Nature under his consideration The next I shall instant is Marcus Aurilius Antoninus a good and famous Emperor he first treats how he ought to behave himself in his Empire And after that saith he As for GOD and such Suggestions Helps and Inspirations as might be expected nothing did hinder me but that I might have begun long before to live according to Nature or that even now that I am not yet pertaker and in present possession of that Life And he gives the Reason why In that saith he I did not observe those inward Motions and Suggestions yea and almost plain apparent Instructions and Admonitions of GOD was the only cause of it And so he goes on most Excellently I that understood the Nature of that which is good said he that it is to be desired and of that which is bad that it is odious and shameful And further saith They are idle in their Actions who toil and labour in this Life and have no certain scope which to direct all their Motions and Desires to And then treating of some that busied themselves in diving into things of Philosophy Yet saith he of this is not sensible that it is sufficient for a man to apply himself wholly and confine all his Thoughts and Cares to the tendence of that Spirit which is within him truly really to serve him For saith this worthy Prince Philosophy doth consist in this for a man to preserve that Spirit which is within him from all manner of Contumelies Injuries and the sacred Mysteries of Virtue which issufrom it carefully solidly and shall not intermix any other business but shalt study this to preserve thy Spirit unpoluted and pure and as one that were even now ready to give up the Ghost shall cleave unto Him