A SERMON Preached at St. Michael's Church in CAMBRIDGE, on the 26th of JULY 1685. Being appointed the DAY of Public Thanksgiving FOR HIS MAJESTY'S late VICTORY over the Rebels.  
By WILLIAM GOSTWYKE Fellow of Trinity College.  
CAMBRIDGE, Printed by John Hayes Printer to the University. And are to be sold by H. Dickinson Bookseller there, and by Walter Davis in Amen-Corner. London. 1685.   

A SERMON Preached at St michael's Church in Cambridge, on the 26th of July 1685.  Prov. 11. 21. Though hand join in hand, the Wicked shall not be Unpunished. 
THE Wisdom of Solomon though it was much engaged in the contemplation of natural things, yet since it was obtained of God for the better government of that People that was committed to his charge, can never be supposed to have been more signal in any point than in Political Observations. He as a King well understood the Duty of his Place, the Power that was reposed in him, and the Obedience that was required of them whom God had placed under his Command: He knew the things that contributed to the happiness of a Kingdom, and what were the most likely means either to establish, or shake his Throne, and therefore in the Words before us forewarns his Subjects against Popular Tumults and Insurrections, shows them the danger that there was, though they were many, and He but One, of entering into Leagues and Associations against their King. But if the Jews gave ear to this as the instruction of a wise and prudent Governor, it recommends itself to us with a more pressing obligation of being registered among those Truths which we acknowledge to proceed from God; and from that stamp of the Divine Authority impressed upon it, we may reap this advantage, That though the World presents us only with a prospect of our danger from the Heat and Fury of an Audacious People, the Church (that always was the refuge of the Godly) suggests unto us more comfortable meditations of Safety and Deliverance. Here we have ancient and undoubted Monuments of God's protection of his People, and out of them this Maxim drawn by the observation of the Wisest Man, That Insurrections of wicked doers cannot be prosperous, that neither Strength nor Multitudes can render their Attempts successful, or secure them from Defeat, but though hand join in hand, though there be Numbers combined together, yet shall they not escape Gods righteous judgement, or go away unpunished.  
The joining of hands hath always been the symbol and token of friendship, and an engagement of mutual Help and Assistance; but what is friendship amongst good and honest Men, is amongst wicked People conspiracy in iniquity, always designed to the mischief of more Righteous persons than themselves, and therefore bad in whatsoever sort of men are engaged in it; but if it be against their Prince, against their Laws and Government, than it amounts to Treason and Rebellion, the worst of Crimes. So that in Treating of these Words I shall show you  
First, The Heinousness of this Sin, when wicked Men join hand in hand and combine together, and  
Secondly, Present you with some Reasons whence you may conclude, they shall not be unpunished.  
First, Of the Heinousness of this Sin, which is so hateful both to God and Man, as it hath been adjudged in both the Courts of Heaven and Earth, to be capital above all other. How highly God detests it, we may hear him speaking by the mouth of one of his Prophets. 1 Sam. 15. 23. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and Stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry. Witchcraft is nothing less than a renouncing God, and entering into a Solemn League and Covenant with his greatest enemy the devil: Idolatry is the forsaking Him to whom we own the highest Worship and Allegiance, and paying a Devotion to them that are not Gods; whom we unjustly set up over us, attributing an Imaginary power to them, who are not able either to secure themselves, or give any succour or protection: and then how nearly is Rebellion joined, how fitly to be compared with either of these, is easy to be observed in all its Proceed. For Rebels either renounce their Allegiance to their natural Prince, who is and should be in God's stead over them; and join themselves to some that is his Enemy, as in the case of Witchcraft, or else they set up Heads of their own, and pay their worship to the Works of their own hands, making them Rulers whom they know to be no Such, and stand in fear, and reverence of a power of their own Creating; which is but too conformable to the notion of Idolatry: then like the foolish Israelites, though they knew it was their Priest that made the Molten Calf, at their own Charges, and the expense of their own Gold, and that but Yesterday, yet to such Idols must be ascribed the glory of the noblest Actions; These must become the Workers of a blessed Reformation; 'Tis by their guidance People must be brought from ignorance and Superstition, to the Light and Truth of the Gospel; even according to the letter of the old Song, 
Exod. 32. 4.  These are thy Gods O Israel that brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  
'Tis by this Name the Idolatry of the Israelites is often branded, of which God thus complains, Ezek. 20. 8. They rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me; and wherein this Rebellion did consist he proceeds to illustrate, in that they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the Idols of Egypt. And in the 1st of Isai. v. 2. he is introduced proclaiming of it to all the World, Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth: for the Lord hath spoken; I have nourished and brought up Children, and they have Rebelled against me. So great a Crime as this not deserving to be put up in silence, or whispered in the ear, nay the housetops were not high enough to proclaim it from, but the whole Creation is made to ring with the loud Infamy of so great a Wickedness. And how detestable it is amongst Men, the concurrent practice of all Nations will attest, so tender do their Laws declare them of the Person of their Prince, that 'tis esteemed Sacred; and they have Scripture too to warrant that Respect, which hath said of Prince that they are Gods. 
Psal. 82. 6.   
And our own Laws have so provided for Them and their Security from any Actual Violence, that they have made it Capital only to Meditate, and Design it; that according to the counsel of the Preacher, Eccl. 10. 20. we should not curse the King, no not in our thought, nor the Rich in our bedchamber, for fear of some extraordinary providence that should discover our Malice; lest a bird of the air should carry the voice, or that which hath wings should tell the matter.  
But not to trouble you any farther with the Heinousness of this Sin, which all good Christians do acknowledge and hearty detest, I shall only desire you to consider whence they that practise it took their first pattern; 'Twas Satan was the ringleader of the Rebels, who ventured to levelly his Ambitious thoughts at the Majesty of Almighty God, and taught his Followers by imitating his Wickedness, to exercise the patience, and disturb the Happiness of God's Vicegerents upon earth: so that we may say of them in our Saviour's words, Joh. 8. 44. They are of their father the Devil, and the lust of their father they will do. He was a Rebel from the beginning, and is still such, while he promotes his Kingdom by these his Instruments and Assistants; who of all Men are most likely to be rewarded with a considerable portion in it; beside some other punishment which you may be assured will overtake them, as I propounded for the Second part of my Discourse, if you will consider  
First, Who it is that Wicked men engage against in their Rebellion, and that is not only Man but God: for as St. Paul saith, Rom. 13. 1, 2. There is no Power but of God, the Powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power, resisteth the Ordinance of God; and what will be the Effect thereof he further declareth, they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation; which as without repentance they are ascertained of; 
Heb. 10. 31.  so fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God: yet that they may not wholly seem to be put off to a Future punishment, which Men of their principles may possibly give no belief to,  
We may conceive in the second place the Wrath of a King (which without Solomon's telling them they well enough know to be Dreadful as the Messengers of Death) may torment them with the fear of approaching Justice; 
Prov. 16. 14.  which by certain though perhaps slow degrees will go on to overtake them.  
For can we think that God who hath made so good provision for the Lives of heathen Princes, that commanded all men to pay Obedience, even to the Enemies and Persecutors of the Church of his Son (for such the Powers were, the Emperors that then ruled when St. Paul wrote his Epistles) and will he leave the Nursing Fathers of his people, those that resemble Himself in the similitude of their Love and Tenderness to his Flock, as well as in the Power they have received from him? Can we, I say, imagine that such should be left destitute of his Immediate protection? who being as they ought to be, not a Terror to Good Works must needs be such to the Evil; 
Rom. 13. 4  and as they are ordained Gods Ministers for good to us, 
— 5.  so are they in like manner by him appointed Revengrs to execute wrath upon him that doth evil: who having the Justice of the Cause on their side, fight to maintain Gods right as well as their own, have a good Conscience animating them within, have the Hearts and Hands of all that are Loyal, the Prayers of all that are Devout to assist them. Such Forces are not easily overthrown, by Men whose consciences fly in their faces; whose guilt conveys more fear into their Hearts, than their Despair of pardon (whence commonly their Rage proceeds) can supply them with of valour and resolution.  
But it is true that Temporal punishment hath not always been allotted to Rebels and Traitors; sometimes their Arms have prospered in despite of Justice, and their Impiety hath been rewarded with Victory and Success; yet we have known such Men before this time who have found a Turn of their good Fortune, and by their Infamous and Deserved Deaths have left a Testimony to the World, that Rebellion though it may be successful, is not always long-lived; and if such wicked Courses may at some time raise a man High, yet they never put him out of danger or fear of Falling: and such a Man's punishment cannot always be deferred which Justice longs to inflict on him, either by the open force and power of his Prince; or the Secret Treachery of his own Party. For who can repose sufficient Confidence in them whom their Allegiance could not contain within the bounds of Loyalty? And there are Examples to be found, of Men that have bought their peace with the Lives of their Confederates, and by giving up their Fellows Heads, made composition for their Own. Which we may be the rather induced to believe, if  
Thirdly, We consider what bad entertainment Rebellious practices have hitherto found in the world; in that he that has once dared to violate the Majesty of Kings, hath seldom found all the Hands that he could join together sufficient to uphold an Usurped Throne; and hath taught others to bear no more respect to himself than he hath showed, and given them besides, a pretence to dispossess him for Unjustly Invading another's Right: which being once taken away, and Power become the Rule of Justice; there have often risen up a Sort of Men pretending to it, who never failed to give one another their Deserved punishment.  
I shall not mention any thing in Humane Writers to illustrate this, but confine myself wholly to Divine Authority; especially because the Spirit of Rebellion that any time within these late Years hath been Disturbing the peace and happiness of these Kingdoms, hath always made pretences to Religion, wherewith it sought to colour and maintain its Wickedness.  
Abimelech the son of Gideon was an early Usurper of the Liberties of his people, 
Judg. 9  and strengthened himself by the Confederacy of the Shechemites, and the murder of Seventy of his Brethren; yet after three years' time, himself became a means to punish those his Instruments in wickedness, with the destruction of all their City, for their Rebellion against him; and He received his punishment by the hand of a Woman, God making use of the weakness of that Sex to destroy him that had many Hands and a great Army joined with him.  
'Twas the consideration of some such Divine vengeance to ensue, that restrained David's hand from slaying Saul, 
1 Sam. 24.  whom though his bitter Enemy, and at that very time seeking his Life, in that he was the Lords Anointed he would not kill, though he had a notable opportunity, though he was instigated by his Servants with the remembrance of the promise of the Lord, 
1 Sam. 26.  to deliver his Enemy into his hand, that he might do to him as it should seem good unto him. Whereas could Opportunity have tempted him to a Rebellious thought, or his Confidence in the Strength and Valour of his Assistants have wrought him to an Action which he acknowledged no man could do and be Guiltless, he might as easily have cut off his Head, as the Skirt of his Robe, and taken away his Life, as the Spear which was set to defend it. But 'tis no wonder if a righteous Man would not venture on such a piece of Wickedness (though with some reason he might have promised himself Freedom from being punished for it by any Humane means, being so well accompanied with such Valiant Men so ready to defend the Fact) when even a Woman (and she too one of the wickedest upon record) had so much Natural Religion in her, as to think no Condition, how great soever, safe and exempt from Vengeance if it were purchased by Rebellion: 'twas Jezebel I mean, who seeing Johu entering the Palace after he had slain her Son, 
2 Kings 9 31.  his King, Jehoram, chargeth him with Rebellion, and by a late example denounceth the like Vengeance to him, that Zimri had who slew his master. So much a Woman that slighted justice in other matters, thought it not possible to be avoided when such a horrid Crime called out to Heaven for it.  
And thus indeed it usually has fared with them that think to force their passage to a Crown, most commonly they have perished in the Attempt; or if they have possessed themselves of their Desires, yet then, not all the Strength that they could make, and Guards they set upon their Persons, could render them Secure from punishment, but usually God hath raised up some to pay them what they have deserved, and render them the fruit of their own Inventions.  
And if after so fair warning any that take Rebellious Courses should think to succeed better at last, it appears to me a sign not only of wicked and depraved Manners, but of stupid and sottish Minds; Can they imagine their Hands were stronger than theirs that went before them? yet surely they cannot think to escape God's justice, or deliver themselves out of his hand.  
What shall we think, but that as such Men do approve themselves to be very Evil persons, so have they in a special manner appropriated to themselves one Character of the Wicked used in Scripture, being Men that forget God, or have not known him? and that they have as little reason to pretend to Religion as to Loyalty, and that their Absurdity is as great when they declare they stand up for Religion, in opposition to the Ordinance of God, and the Directions of the Apostles, as theirs that formerly pretended to maintain the Authority of the King, to the Ruin of his Kingdoms, and the Destruction of his Person.  
I hope it will be needless at this time of day to persuade men not to cheat themselves with such nice Distinctions, which one word of sound and real Wisdom will presently solve, and this the Wise man teacheth, that you should fear the Lord, and the King for his sake, that you should make your Religion the foundation of your Loyalty, 
Prov. 24. 21, 22.  and not meddle with them that are given to change, For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruin of them both?  
Now God be praised we do; and by his mercy are able to retort upon our Republican Party their own Argument drawn from Success, which when it goes along with the Right Side, is then indeed only proper to be urged as a Token of God's Favour and Approbation. For we have seen the Counsels of Crafty men defeated, and the continued Designs that have been hatching several Years, brought to naught in a short while, the Numbers that were joined overthrown and broken, and those that were Expected, rendered Incapable to do Themselves or the Kingdom more Mischief: and though their Strength was formidable, and their Confederates many, yet when we think how they are brought to punishment, we must needs acknowledge the Truth of the Text, that Wicked Men cannot escape without it.  
For to say nothing of the private Lives of those that were the Leaders in the late Rebellion, which were sufficient to discountenance their pretences to any kind of Religion; their open Violation of all Honesty and Godliness, Plundering and Killing Men, Ravishing Wives and Virgins, Defacing Churches, and profaning Altars, are sufficient to show their Character, and to cry up to Heaven for Vengeance, and make God's Justice glorious now it is fallen upon them.  
And now let us lay hold of the Occasion, by reflecting on God's judgements upon others, to implore the continuance of his Mercy to ourselves in this General Blessing; that God would grant the King a Long and Happy Reign, and save Him from the hands of all His enemies, whom whether it shall please Almighty God to cloth with shame of their Proceed for their Conversion and Repentance; or by permitting them to go on in their own Obstinate and Destructive Ways, to bring to their Deserved Punishment; yet may his Throne be Established in Righteousness, and on His Head may His Crown flourish. Amen.  
FINIS.