Ferguson's Text Explained and Applied, IN A SERMON Before the Right Honourable, Sir Robert Geoffrey, Kt. Lord Mayor of LONDON; AT Guild-Hall Chappel, December the 6th. Anno Dom. 1685. BY Robert Wensley, Vicar of Chesthunt, Hartfordshire. LONDON, Printed by Tho. Milbourn, for Benjamin took, at the Ship in St. Paul's Churchyard. 1686. Imprimatur, C. ALSTON R. P. D. HEN. Episc. Lond. a Sacris Domesticis. To the Right Honourable, Sir Robert Geoffrey, Kt. Lord Mayor OF THE City of LONDON. MY Lord, THE so extraordinary Civility Your Lordship was pleased to express to me for this SERMON, (which I can attribute to nothing but the design of it, viz. Loyalty, which is, and always hath been most grateful to Your Lordship) hath however so highly obliged me, that I should think myself guilty of no less Ingratitude, than that which I blame in others, should I refuse to submit it to Your Lordship's Disposal. I beg leave to tell Your Lordship, That this Discourse was first Preached (mutatis mutandis) when the late Duke of Monmouth was in the height of his Rebellion, in my own Parish; where not only Castares, but Ferguson himself, (that Bloodiest of all the Rebels) was formerly at The Conventicle at Theobalds', a Frequent, and amongst his Followers, a most Celebrated Preacher. Wherefore, I thought it my Duty to let my People see, how much they had been abused by him, and such Seducers, and to Preach up Loyalty amongst them from his own Text, which (as I was then Informed) he had wrested to Rebellious Designs. By this, Your Lordship may plainly see, that I have always (even in the worst of Times) endeavoured to do my Duty to God and the King, with all Faithfulness; though I am forced to tell Your Lordship, (because I live by some ill Neighbours, who seek to do me all the Mischief they can, only because by all means Lawful I endeavour to make them do their Duties) That I have Laboured under the greatest Disadvantage and Discouragement, and suffered the greatest Persecution for it, of any Man in England (that I know of) of my Age and Station. All that I can return to Your Lordship for your great kindness, is only (like Beggars) to have Recourse to my Prayers for you, That Your Lordship's Name may be as Famous in all Ages for Loyalty, and for the Just and Honourable Rewards of it, as now it is in yourself, the Loyal Lord Mayor of London, and in the Great and Loyal Lord Chancellor of England: And (if the Infinite Happiness of Heaven can admit of Degrees) That your Lordship may enjoy in the World to come, a degree of Glory as much above other Men, as You do at this present. Which is, and shall be, the Hearty Prayer of, My Lord,). Your Lordship's most Faithful, and Obedient Servant, Robert Wensley. A SERMON PREACHED AT Guild-Hall Chappel, December the 6th. Anno Dom. 1685. EZEKIEL, Ch. XXI. v. 25, 26, 27. And thou profane, wicked Prince of Israel, whose Day is come, when Iniquity shall have an End. Thus saith the Lord God, Remove the Diadem, and take off the Crown; Exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will over-turn, over-turn, over-turn it; and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. OF all the Sacred Writings, none are more easily wrested to ill Purposes, than the Prophecies of the Old Testament, and the Revelations of the New. Strength of Imagination, and the literal Sound of the Words, supplying the place, in the Vulgar, of strong Sense, sound Reason, and all manner of Helps of Interpretation: So that they are easily brought to believe any thing that their Seditious Teachers deliver to them, as a Mystery grounded on some obscure Text of the Prophets, or the Apocalypse. Amongst all the Prophetical Writings, (if we may believe Report) none hath been more abused than this Text, by that Grand Traitor and Trumpeter of Hell, Ferguson; who, whilst he pretended to be a Preacher of the Gospel of Peace, sounded an Alarm to Rebellion with these Words; against which, nothing can be a greater Argument, if rightly Explained and Applied. Wherefore, it cannot be amiss for me to endeavour rightly to Explain and Apply them both to Things and Persons. First then, to Explain the Words, it will be necessary 1st. The Explication of the Words. to inquire; I. Who this Prince was, of which we have here so severe a Character? II. What his Crimes were, for which he is here so dreadfully threatened? As to the First, I need but refer you to the I. Who this Prince was. Words of St. Hierom, who expressly saith: * Post urbis Hierosclymae subversionem & captivitatem Populi, ad Ducem Israelis sermo dirigitur quem nemini dubium est significari Sedechiam. St. Hierom Commentarium in Textum. After the Destruction of Jerusalem, and the Captivity of the Jews, this Speech is directed to the King of Israel; whom no body doubts to be Zedekiah: Whose sad Story you may read at your Leisure, in the 24 th'. and 25 th'. Chapters of the 2 d. of Kings, and in the Last Chapter of Jeremy. The sum of it, in brief, is this: Nabuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, besieged Jerusalem, and took it, with Jehoiakim the King, and all his Nobles: All which, (after he had destroyed the Temple) together with all the rich Vessels belonging to it, all the Treasures of the King's House, and the Riches of all the City, he carried away with him into Babylon, and deposed Jehoiakim; and made Mattaniah, his Father's Brother, King in his stead; and changed his Name to Zedekiah: Who, notwithstanding all this, Rebelled against Nabuchadnezzar; and being overcome by him, had his Sons slain before his Eyes; and (that he might never see a better Object) his own Eyes were put out, and he carried in Chains to Babylon: And Jehoiakim was by Evilmerodack, the Babylonian King, replaced upon the Throne of his Ancestors. Thus was the Prophecy in the Text fulfilled, even to a Word: For Zedekiah's Day of Punishment came unexpectedly upon him, and his Iniquity had its Reward; His Diadem was removed, and his Crown was taken off: Jehoiakim, that was low, was exalted from a Prison to his Throne; and Zedekiah, that was high, was abased from his Throne to a Prison. Thus did God Almighty utterly Over-turn all Israel, till the Kingdom was given unto him, whose Right it was. As to the further Sense of this Prophecy, the same St. Hierom (diverting his Speech to Zedekiah) gives it us in these following Words: † Venit (inquit) tibi dies quae longo tempore praefinita est in te; & propter te Sacerdotium & Regnum interiit Judaeorum. Iniquitatem ponam tibi in perpetuum, quoe non statim tibi reputata est, sed donec veniat Christus cujus est judicium & tradet ei Pater Regnum & Sacerdotium vel Ecclesiam de Gentibus Congregatam. Id. St. Hieronimus ibid. The Day is come, which was long before determined concerning Thee; and for thy sake, both the Kingdom, and the Priesthood of the Jews, hath perished. I will place this Iniquity upon thy Account for ever; but not immediately to be reckoned for, but when Christ cometh, whose is the Judgement, and when the Father giveth him both the Kingdom, and the Priesthood, or the Church called from amongst the Gentiles. For then, indeed, it was, that both the Jewish Religion and Government were absolutely Overturned by the Romans, when the Apostles had just finished their Work of Preaching the Gospel to all Nations, and making them Disciples of Christ: For ever since, the Jews have continued mere Vagabonds upon the Face of the Earth, And an hissing, and a Byword to all Nations. So that, (according to St. Hierom) Zedekiah's Crimes had an ill Influence upon all Israel, for many Generations, even till their final Destruction, after our Saviour's Crucifixion: So that, we may well conclude, that they were most odious to God: And therefore, it cannot be but worth our while, to proceed to the next Enquiry proposed: viz. II. What Zedekiahs Crimes were, for which II. What Zedekiahs Crimes were, the Text styles him, Thou wicked and profane Prince of Israel; and for which He and all Israel were so dreadfully punished? Now, if we will take the pains to read the places of Scripture * 2 Kings c. 24. v. 17. etc. 25. and Jeremiah cap. ult. , we shall find his Crimes to be these three, viz. Ingratitude, Treachery, and Rebellion. Ingratitude, Perfidiousness, Rebellion. First, Ingratitude against the King of Babylon. Nabuchadnezzar had Raised him from a Subject, to be King over Israel, instead of Jehoiakim, whose Right it was; and in token of his Favour, had given him a new Name: But He ungratefully endeavours (as far as he could) to Unmake his Maker. Whereas, Common Gratitude (if he had retained any Sense of it) would have bound him fast to the Service of such a Prince, who had conferred so great Honours and Obligations upon him, that even all that he could do for his Service, was little enough to express his Grateful Acknowledgements: But (instead of this) such was his ungratefulness, that no Ties (though never so Sacred) could hold him to his Duty; but even contrary to his Faith and Promise, he Treacherously endeavours to Ruin Nabuchadnezzar, with those Favours he had conferred upon him. And this brings me to Discourse his second Crime, viz. Secondly, His Perfidiousness or Treachery. 2ly. Zedekiah's Perfidiousness. In all probability, the King of Babylon bound Zedekiah, by all manner of Promises and Oaths, to be faithful to him; for common prudence could persuade no less: and we have this further Warrant for it, That one of the best Commentators (as to the sense of the Ancients) tells us directly, That the † Loquitur propheta Sedekiae faedifrago. Cornel. a Lapid. in textum. Prophet here speaks to Zedekiah, the Covenant-breaker. What then could be a greater breach of Faith, than for him to abuse so great and so honourable a Trust, to quite contrary purposes? What could be greater Treason, than for him who had received the Regal Authority over the Jews, on purpose to keep them in Subjection to the King of Babylon, to be the first that Opposed it; and to be the Ringleader of Rebellion against him? This leads me to take Notice of his third and last Crime, viz. Thirdly, His Rebellion. 3ly. Zedekiah's Rebellion. Had not Zedekiah been the Chief Governor under Nabuchadnezzar, he could not have been the Chief Rebel against him: And therefore, this did fully complete both his Ingratitude and Treason; and above all other, his Sins is particularly laid to his Charge (2 Kings c. 24. v. ult.) even by God himself. Having now Explained the Words, lest it should be asked, What is all this to us? I shall proceed to the next part of my proposed Design, viz. Secondly, Rightly to Apply these Words thus The 2 d. part of this Discourse; the Application. Explained, both to Persons and Things. First then, as to Persons: 1. To Persons. I freely Confess, That there is nothing less becomes the Pulpit, than Personal Reflections, where they are not necessary, or at least highly convenient. But since common Fame assures us, That this Text was Applied to Seditious Purposes against our present Sovereign (Whom God long Preserve!) I cannot but think it a necessary Duty to wipe off those Foul and Impudent Aspersions from our Royal Master, and to let you see where they naturally fall. With what Face could any one (but Impudence itself) Apply Zedekiah's Ingratitude, Perfidiousness, and Rebellion, against such a Prince, whom even the worst of His Enemies, cannot but own to be the Best, and most Grateful Master; the most Faithful of all Friends, and (when He was in that capacity) the most Loyal of all Subjects? Do not We of the Church of England own the Preservation of our Religion to His Royal Faith and Gratitude? Hath He not in the most Grateful and Public manner Acknowledged our Services (though we did but our Duty) in Endeavouring to Maintain The Succession in the Right Line? Hath He not Passed His Royal Faith for the Preservation of our Religion and Government by Law Established, in His repeated Promises, and His Coronation-Oath? Oh! May His Royal Word and Oath be as Sacred and Inviolable, as all good Subjects do Esteem His Person and Authority! And as He derives His Power from none but GOD, so may He Govern after God's example; That, as By these two immutable Things, His Word and Oath, It is impossible for God, it may be no less impossible for the King, to Lie! That so His NAME may be Recorded to all Ages, by those Glorious Titles of JAMES the Grateful, and JAMES the Just. In the mean while, let Us follow His Example, in being as Faithful Subjects to Him, as He was to His Royal Brother, who hath particularly Recommended Him as a Pattern for our Imitation: For in his last * Pag. 166. Part the first. Declaration, perused by himself, and Ordered to be Published, He who best knew Him, gives us this Recommendation of Him; That He could not forbear to Recommend to all his other Subjects, the profound Respect, and the entire Resignation and Obedience, which his Royal Highness continues to Practise to his Person and Government. Let this then Suffice to stop the Mouths of all our Railing Rabshake's against God's Anointed. But since they have always been too ready to make Personal Reflections, and False Applications of Scripture, it is but Justice that we should Retort upon them, such as are apparently true; especially, where, without the least Stretches or Force, they mutually Apply themselves; as (certainly, if ever words did) these of the Text most directly Apply themselves against the Authors of the late Rebellion amongst Us. For, What need I mention the late Earls of All the Late Leaders of Rebellion, Guilty of every one of Zedekiah's Crimes. Shaftsbury, Argyle, and such like? when their Horrid Ingratitude to his late Majesty, as well as to this Present, against so many and so great Obligations of reiterated Pardons and Honours heaped upon them, and their no less Perfidiousness against their repeated Promises and Oaths, as well as their barefaced Rebellion, are so visible to all Persons, that are not fully resolved they will not see? I shall therefore confine this part of my Discourse But most especially the late Duke of Monmouth. to that Unfortunately-Deluded Prince, The late Duke of Monmouth. And surely never was there any Person, in which Monmouth's Ingratitude far greater than Zedekiah's. all Zedekiah's Crimes did so Manifestly appear, as in him. And though it is not in my Nature to Trample upon a Dead Lion, or to Triumph over those that are Fallen; and though I would no more revive his Crimes, than I would his Person, yet Necessity forces me to it, that I may Endeavour to give some Satisfaction to those that mean well, and yet may be Deceived by the Impudent Clamours of his Party, to think too well of him. 1. Then, as to his Ingratitude. Did not his Royal Father Raise him from the Infamy derived from his Mother, to the highest Honours, scarcely denying him any thing that was Great, except only His Crown, and the Just Rights of his Royal Successor? And were not all these Favours conferred upon him, by the Mediation of his Royal Uncle, our present Sovereign? Hear what His late Majesty saith in His Declaration , † Pag. 149. line 19 ibid. where He doth Freely Testify for his Dearest Brother, that the Duke of Monmouth (till he made himself uncapable of his Friendship) never had a more entire or fast-Friend about His Majesty; and there was scarce ever any Honour or Benefit conferred upon him, but it was obtained by his Royal Highness his Intercession. And yet, How well he requited Them, by being Privy to at least, if not Consenting to such Consultations, as directly tended to the utter Destruction of Them both, is too sadly known amongst us! Not only, not regarding the Life of his best Benefactor, but (Oh most horrid Ingratitude!) taking no care (to say no worse) of the Life of his most Affectionate and Indulgent Father! A Father, that (by the Mediation of his Royal Uncle) had such an Excess of Kindness for him, as not only to Pardon him, so Wicked and so Unnatural a Conspiracy; but again to Receive him into His Bosom; and to seek, by His former Methods of Kindness (though Alas! all in vain!) to Reclaim him from the Society of Hellish Traitors, that Conspired against His Life and Government? So that all Things considered, Zedekiah was a Grateful Person in comparison of him; and our Wise and Loyal Senate had too much reason to style him, * In their Address to His Majesty. That most ungrateful Rebel, James late Duke of Monmouth. Nor (2ly.) Was his Perfidiousness less than his Ingratitude. 2ly. His Perfidiousness no less than his Ingratitude. For (not to mention his frequent breaches of his Matrimonial Vow, made to his most virtuous Duchess; a Lady that had obliged him by all means possible: and of his repeated Promises to his greatest Patron his Royal Uncle) How often, upon the account of his several Honours and Offices, had he taken the Oath of Allegiance, and the Holy Sacrament, to bind him to that, to which Nature itself had most strictly tied him, (i. e.) His Duty to his most Loving Father, & his most Gracious King? How did he promise his Royal Father; Nay, swear to Him under his Hand, That * His first letter amongst the Papers in the late King's Declaration. pag. 138. For the time to come, the whole study of his Life should be, to show how truly Penitent he was: And yet (Oh Unnatural Treachery!) all these Bonds were too weak to hold him from Joining with such Bloody Traitors, as sought the very Life of the King his Father. And this leads me to Discourse his Last Crime, viz. 3ly. His Rebellion. His Rebellion the completion of all his Crimes. This is the Crime that made all the rest Appear in their proper (i. e.) their most odious Shapes: So that it is impossible for any Man (that is not absolute Impudence) to Palliate or Conceal them. For He himself assures his Uncle, than Duke of York, That if He would grant him the Kindness to bring him to the King his Father, * In his first Letter, ibid. p. 137. in fine, and p. 138. If ever he should do any thing against him, he must be thought the most ungrateful Man living. And he might as well have added the most Perfidious Man on Earth: † Ibid. p. 140. For in his second Letter to his Father, he tells him; Neither do I imagine to receive your Pardon, any otherwise, than by the Intercession of the Duke, whom I acknowledge to have offended; and therefore, beg Your Majesty would direct how I am to apply myself to Him, and I shall do it, not as an outward form, but with all the sincerity in the world. Now, Was not this Favour granted him? Did not his then Royal Highness introduce him to his Father, and Intercede for His Favour to him? And yet, Did he not (as soon as possibly he could) Publish the most False, Treasonable, and Seditious Declaration against Him? and, Did he not raise the most unnatural War, and endeavour thereby to Deprive his Lawful Sovereign of His Crown, which He himself owned to be His undoubted Right; and to Depose Him from His Throne, and to place himself upon it, though he himself confessed (more than once) That he had no manner of just Right or Title to it? So that Zedekiah's Rebellion compared with his, would appear but a just Defence of himself, and his Country. And as his Faults did exceed his, so his Punishment As his Crimes were greater than Zedekiah's, so his Punishment was not less. came not short of what was here threatened in the Text, but fulfilled it, even to a Tittle. For is not his Day come, when his iniquity had an end? Is not his Diadem removed, which he vainly fancied to himself? is not his Crown taken off, which his ambitious Thoughts had placed upon his own Head; nay, and his Head too? is he any longer the same he was? is not our Dread Sovereign, who was so low, Exalted, from his Banishment, to the Throne of His Ancestors? is not He, who was so high in his own, and his followers Conceit, abased, and laid in the Dust? In a word, Hath not God utterly overturned Him, and all his Rebellious Accomplices, so that they are no more? and, Hath he not given to him the Diadem and the Crown, whose unquestionable Right it is? May it be Established upon Him, and His Lawful Heirs and Successors, so long As the Sun and Moon endureth: To which Establishment, let every one of us Contribute his part, by doing his Duty in his Station, to prevent all Rebellion for the Future. To which end, that I may not be wanting in Mine, I shall proceed to what remains, viz. Secondly, To Apply this Text to such Things, The 2 d. Application to Things; viz. against Rebellion chief. against which it is directly and naturally Applicable. And surely, it can be Applied against nothing so directly, as against Zedekiah's Crimes of Ingratitude, Treachery, and Rebellion. As for the Two former, they being mainly comprehended and completed in the Latter; I shall restrain my Discourse against that Crime that contains all the rest, (i. e) Rebellion. For, no Man can be a Rebel, but he must be Every Rebel must be, Ungrateful, as well as Perfidious. (1.) He must be Ungrateful. 1st. Ungrateful. For, the Preservation of his Life or Fortune, and of what soever can be dear to him, he owes wholly to his Prince; who gives Life to the Laws, by which they are preserved by his vigorous Execution of them; without which, all Law is but a dead Letter, and signifies nothing at all to the Safety or Welfare of Human Society. (2.) He must be Perfidious also. 2dly. Perfidious. For no Man can Rebel, but he breaks those Ties of Nature, as well as his Promises and Oaths (which, by our Laws, every Subject is supposed and required to take) by which he is bound to maintain his Prince's Life and Government. Now, against all Rebellion, this Text doth apply itself, as the highest and strongest Argument that can be, by answering all the Pretences and Excuses, that can possibly be made for it: For, What No just or sufficient Excuse for Rebellion. greater Excuses can be imagined, than those which were the real Causes of Zedekiah's Rebellion? May the Invasion of our Rights, Liberties, and Lives, or the Violation of the True Religion, be sufficient Excuses for it? All these Zedekiah had in the highest manner; and yet was blamed and punished in the highest manner for his Rebellion. His People's Properties, Lives, Liberties, and Religion, were utterly invaded and violated. First, As to their Properties, Lives, and Liberties: 1st. Not Property, Life, and Liberty. Was not the King of Babylon a mere Invader of them all? What Right had he (but only what his Sword had given him) to the Country of Judea? And yet, did he not by mere Force, (without so much as a Pretence of Right or Title to it) besiege, take, and destroy its Chief * Vid. 2 King. c. 24. from v. 10. to v. 17. City? Did he not seize as his own, and carry away with him not only all things of Value in it, but all Persons also of any use to it, killing many of them, and making the rest his Slaves in Babylon? Was it not to preserve his People's Lives from Murder, and to regain their Liberties and Properties from the highest Injustice, and the greatest Slavery and Tyranny, that the King of Israel rebelled against Nabuchadnezzar? And yet, all this could not excuse his Rebellion. But though Life, Liberty, and Property, which relate only to this World, will not excuse Rebellion against the worst of Tyrants; yet surely, Religion, that must bring us to Eternal Life, is so sacred a thing, that the least Violation of it will be a full Excuse: But this will appear as vain an Excuse as the former, if we consider the Instance in the Text. For, Secondly, As to Religion, even that which God 2dly, Not Religion. himself had Instituted amongst the Jews; it was no less violated by the King of Babylon, than their Liberties and Properties. For, Was not Nabuchadnezzar the highest Idolater, and the greatest Promoter of Idolatry in the whole World? Was it not He, that cast Shadrach, Meshach, and Vid. The 3 d. Chap. of Daniel, Abednego into the Fiery Furnace, (heated seven times hotter than it used to be) only because they worshipped the True God, and would not Fall down and worship the Golden Image that he had set up. Was it not He, that not only profaned, but destroyed the Temple of the Lord, the Glory of the Jewish Religion? Was it not He, that not only polluted their most Sacred Altar, (where was the Secanah, or Glory of God) but pulled it down, and utterly defaced it? Was it not He, that had seized all the Sacred Vessels, and Inestimable Treasures of the House of the Lord, and carried them away to be in the highest manner profaned in Babylon? And was Zedekiah's Rebellion any thing more, than an Endeavour to regain his People's just Rights, and to Re-establish the True Religion amongst them? And would not all this excuse him? For our full Satisfaction in this Particular, let us read 2 Kings ch. 24. v. 20. and we shall there find it expressly said, That it was for this cause that God had Cast out him and all Israel out of his Presence, (i. e.) out of his Protection. For (saith the Text) through the Anger of the Lord, it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah (until he had cast them out from his Presence) that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon. Since then nothing can excuse Rebellion, Give me leave (as a further Application of these Words) to press these Two Considerations: 1. The Greatness of the Sin of Rebellion. Two Considerations against Rebellion. 2. The remarkable Punishments of Rebellion. The First will be apparent in these Three Things: 1. Rebellion is a Complication of all Sins. 2. A Sin for which no Amends can be made. 3. A Sin, which seldom is, or can be Repent of. First, It is a Complication of all Sins. 1st. Rebellion is a Complication of all Sins. It is not any single Act of Profaneness or Perjury; but Thousands of Perjuries joined in one. It is not any particular Act of Injustice or Murder; but all manner of Rapine, Plunder, and Desolation; all sorts of Rapes and Adulteries; innumerable Murders of Innocent Persons; and Violations of all things Sacred, are the necessary Consequences of it. It too often makes Children to sheathe their Swords in the Bowels of their Parents; and Subjects to destroy the Lives of their Sovereigns, which they ought to defend, though with the Loss of their own. How often doth it bring in a Foreign Enemy, to enslave a Nation? Have not we too dearly experienced this in England? Look into our Histories, and ye may find, that we could never have been Conquered either by the Danes, Saxons, or Normans, nay, not by the Romans themselves, had it not been for our Intestine Wars and Rebellions. In a word, There is no Crime so black and horrid, (at which the Conscience of any thing, but the Devil himself, would startle, and be amazed) but that Rebellion too readily draws us into it. Nay, Secondly, It is such a Sin, as no Amends can be 2dly. It is a Sin, that no Amends can be made for. made for. How can any one make Amends for memberless Rapines, Plunderings, and Desolations of whole Towns and Countries? Unless we could suppose him possessed with all the Riches of the Indies. But if we could suppose all this; yet, How can he make Amends for the Lives of so many Thousands, that are killed in Rebellion? Can he raise them from the Dead, and restore them safe and sound to their Friends and Relations? Can we suppose this; It is utterly impossible, that he should make any Amends for any one Soul, which is eternally lost by it. For since Sedition is reckoned up by St. Paul, (Gal. 5. v. 20.) in that black Catalogue of Sins, that shall shut us out of the Kingdom of Heaven; What can we think shall become of all those that die in the very Act of Rebellion? Now since all the Angels of Heaven can never satisfy for one Soul, but must let that alone for ever; How can any Mortal Man make Amends for Thousands? If then that undoubted Axiom in Divinity be true; † Non tollitur peccatum nisi restituatur ablatum. That a Sin can never be forgiven, unless Amends be made for the Injury; What Hopes can we have for such as die in this Sin, (especially, such as are the Chief Authors of Rebellion) for which they know beforehand, that no Satisfaction can be made? Most especially, if we consider, Thirdly, That Rebellion is such a Sin, as can 3dly. Rebellion seldom is, or can be Repent of. seldom or never be truly Repent of. The Prophet tells us, That * 1 Sam. 15. v. 23. Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft: And indeed, in nothing are they so alike as in this, That they are seldom or never Repent of. For as God Almighty may justly be supposed to harden the Hearts of such profligate Wretches, as shall dare to give their Souls to the Devil, so that they cannot Repent, and defraud him of his Bargain: So we have great reason to believe, that he that shall dare to venture upon Rebellion, (which he knows to contain all other Sin, s (tho' never so horrid) or at least to lead him into them, and which he cannot but know, that no Amends can be made for) may justly be deprived of God's Grace; so that (if we could suppose him to be able) yet he shall never be willing to make any Amends for it, or else shall be deprived of Time and Opportunity to do it. And indeed, such sad Examples hath this Age afforded us of Impenitent Rebels, as are too apparent Arguments, to prove this to be a most undeniable, though a most sad Truth: For, notwithstanding those strange Miracles of Providence in His Majesty's Restauration, and those no less strange Miracles of Mercy towards the Rebels themselves, (which, one would have thought, should have forced any thing but the Devil himself to Repentance) yet, How few of them did ever show any real Remorse for their former Rebellion! Nay, How many of them have still persisted in it, till They have brought upon themselves swift Destruction! And this now brings me to discourse what I next proposed: viz. Secondly, The Remarkable Punishments of Rebellion, 2dly. The remarkable Punishments of Rebellion in this Life. even in this Life. These are so visible both in the Sacred History, and in the Histories of our own Nation, that he must be a Stranger to both, that hath not taken Notice of them. As to the Sacred Writings, I need instance in The Examples in Sacred History. no more, than those remarkable Judgements upon Corah, and his Company, Numb. c. 16. and upon Absalon, and his Confederates, 2 Sam. c. 18. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, with several of the Princes of Israel, conspire together against Moses and Aaron: For which Schism and Sedition, (lest they should go unpunished) God created a new thing Numb. c. 16. v 30. upon Earth, (as though all known Punishments had been too small for such Rebels) and made the Earth open her Mouth, and swallow them up, so that they went down alive into the Pit of Hell. Neither did the People escape, who were drawn in to join with them: For, though Aaron made all the haste that could be, To make an Atonement Ibid. Verse the 47, 48, & 49. for their Sin, and (as the Text saith) the Plague was but begun amongst the People; yet, They that died in that Plague, were Fourteen Thousand and Seven Hundred. As for Absalon, who, led by the Council of Achitophel, The Example of Absalon and his Confederates. had raised a most Unnatural Rebellion against his own most Indulgent Father, King David; His Punishment, though not so miraculous, yet was no less remarkable than the former. Concerning which, I need say no more, than the Words of our * Vid. Homil. against Rebellion, Part the 4th. Most Loyal Mother, the Church of England: viz. Absalon, though he was most Beautiful of Person, of great Nobility, being the King's Son, in great Favour with the People, and followed by a great Army of them; and so dearly beloved by the King himself, 2 Sam. c. 14. v. 25. that he gave Commandment (notwithstanding his Rebellion) that his Life should be saved: When Et ibid. Chap. the 16. 17, & 18. for these Reasons, most Men were afraid to lay violent Hands upon him, A great Tree, stretching out its Arm as it were on purpose, caught him by the long Bush of his goodly Hair, and so hanged him up. To give an Eternal Document, That neither Comeliness of Personage, neither Nobility of Blood, nor the Favour of the People, no, nor the Favour of the King himself, can save a Rebel from due Punishment. God the King of all Kings, being so offended with him, that rather than he should want due Execution for his Treason, every Tree shall be a Gallows, and the Hair of his own Head an Halter to hang him with. And as for Achitophel, (though otherwise an exceeding Vid. 2 Sam. c. 17. to v 24. Wise Man, yet the mischievous Counsellor in this Rebellion) for lack of an Hangman, (a convenient Servitor for such a Traitor) he went, and privately hanged himself. Thus happened it to the Captains of that Rebellion, 2 Sam. c. 18. v. 7, & 8. besides Forty Thousand of the Common Rebels slain in the Field, and in the Chase. And very few Instances of Rebellion can we find, (should we search all the Histories of all Ages) but that the Subjects that Raised it, or their Posterity, have smarted severely for it: Which will most evidently appear, if we look into, Secondly, The Histories of our own Nation. 2dly. The Examples taken out of our own Histories. For, though sometimes we may have known some particular Rebels (such as Cromwell, Bradshaw, and Shaftsbury, our Late Achitophel) which having Sinned above the Revenge of all Temporal Punishments, God hath reserved (we may believe) to His own Vengeance of Eternal Flames, to assure us of a Future Life, wherein such Villainies shall be punished; yet we can scarcely produce any Examples of such Rebellions, as did generally benefit the People, or prosper long amongst Us; but of the contrary, we have many and grand Instances. I shall only take Notice of these Three, because they are so very Remarkable: Viz. I. That against King Richard the Second. II. The Two last Rebellions of this present Age. As to the First: Though they had forced him 1st. The bloody Punishment of the Rebellion against Richard the II. to Resign his Crown in open Parliament, to Henry of Bullenbrook, and had Confirmed it to him, by all the means that Policy could contrive, or Law could dictate; yet (as that Loyal Bishop of Carlisle, * Mr. Trussell's Hist. of Henry the iv p. 52. Dr. Thomas Marks, whose Name ought always to be remembered as a Martyr, for his Loyalty, foretold to them) The Child that was yet unborn, did Rue the Work of that Day. For though this Rebellion prospered, in the highest manner, for Two Generations; yet in the Third, such a War was Raised thereby, between the two Royal Families, as lasted † Vid. ibid. Hist. of Richard the III. p. ult. near an hundred Years, and was the Occasion of the Loss of the Lives of near an Hundred Thousand Subjects; amongst which, were most of the Nobility and Gentry of this Nation. Neither had it had an end so soon, had not God Almighty been pleased, of his great Mercy (by several strange Overturning) at length to Give the Crown to them whose Right it was, in whose Posterity both the Families of York and Lancaster were firmly United. So fully was that Old Verse (which ought never to be forgotten) confirmed to us. De male quaesitis vix gaudent tertius haeres. The Third Heir scarcely ever enjoys illgotten Estates. But I need not go so far for Examples of this kind, our own Experience being too well supplied with them, even in this present Age; the two last Rebellions amongst us being no less apparent Instances of the like Punishments. For, Secondly, As to that Rebellion against 2dly. The Rebellion against Charles the First. Charles the Blessed Martyr, never to be thought on without the utmost horror! Though it prospered for a while, yet what did we get by it? Instead of the Best of Men, and the Best of Kings, (who was inhumanely Murdered by his own Subjects at his own Door, under a damnable pretence of Justice) we were forced to truckle under a Base and Bloody Usurper. Instead of The best Church and Religion in the World, Established amongst us, we had made our Nation nothing but a sink of all manner of filthy Schisms, Heresies, and Confusion. Instead of the Best of Governments, under which every Man could Claim the same Right and Law for his Possessions, as the King Himself, we brought upon ourselves the Iron-Rod of mere Arbitrary Power, and knew no Law nor Right, but what the Sword gave us. Instead of the most Blessed Peace and Plenty that our Nation ever enjoyed, we brought upon ourselves nothing but Sequestrations, Decimations, Rapine, Sacrilege, and the most Unnatural War and Bloodshed. To Sum up all: All that we got by that Sea of Blood, and those vast heaps of Treasure spent in that Rebellion, was only this, Viz. That we had entailed upon our Posterity (had not God been more Merciful unto us) all those things which were the main pretences for those Fears and Jealousies, which raised the first Feuds and Commotions amongst us; unless we add (which with good reason we may) those amazing Judgements of The most Dreadful Fire, and the most Raging Pestilence, which were the Just Punishments of that most unjust Rebellion. But, Thirdly, As to this last Rebellion. 3dly. The fatal consequences that would have ensued, had Monmouth's Rebellion prevailed. Supposing the Late Monmouth had prevailed, and by plain force had plaited the Crown upon his own head; What could we have expected from such an Usurpation, but only another War Between Him and His Whigg-Parliament, or else between the Two Houses of York and Monmouth, that might (in all probability) have lasted as long, and have been no less Bloody than the former, between the Two Families of York and Lancaster? But God Almighty (thanks to his Holy Name) hath by a most signal Providence, put an end to all these Calamities and Dangers, and hath Utterly Over-turned both these Rebellions, and their Authors and Abettors; almost miraculously fulfilling the last Verse of the Prophecy of my Text, so clearly even to every tittle of it, as though the Prophet had meant it of none but our Times, Viz. I will Over-turn, Over-turn, Over-turn it, and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him. For, how wonderfully hath he Over-turned the Usurper his Family, and the Fag end of a Parliament, that had unjustly seized into their own hands the Supreme Power of the Kingdom; and made them stink in the Nostrils of all good Men? How prodigiously hath He Overturned the Committees of Safety, the Keepers of our Liberties, that kept them from us, and the old Invincible Army of Implacable Rebels, and all their Commanders, who Usurped the Command of all things amongst us? Lastly, How miraculously hath He brought the Wheel over the whigs, and utterly Overturned them, and all their Rebellious Devices? And by those very Means, by which they thought to have destroyed our King and Government, hath so firmly settled the Crown upon his Head, whose undoubted right it is, and so immovably Fixed and Established His Throne, That (unless we, by our Sins and Abuses of his Mercies, do provoke God to permit them) we have Reason to believe, that neither the Devil himself, the first Rebel, nor all his Followers, shall ever be able to shake it. To sum up All that I have said: Since seldom or never any Rebellion hath long The general Application of the whole Discourse. Prospered; but hath generally been, even in this Life, it's own Punishment: Since it is such a Sin that contains all other Crimes; and no Amends, nor any sufficient Excuse can be made for it: And lastly, Since it is such a Sin, as can very hardly (if at all) be Repent of; and, by Consequence, Since there is very little or no Hope of Forgiveness for it: If we have any Regard to our own Happiness, either in this World, or That which is to come, Let us follow the Wisest Advice of the Wisest of Men: viz. * Proverbs c. 24. v. 21, & 22. My Son, fear thou the Lord, and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to Change. And let us always bear in mind the Reason that Solomon gives us (the Truth of which our own Experience hath so often confirmed) viz. For their Calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruin of them both? And, lest any should be drawn into Rebellion with a Show and Pretence of Religion, Let me add the most necessary Exhortation of the Great Apostle of the Gentiles, viz. † Rom. c. 16. v. 17, & 18. Now, I beseech you, Brethren, mark them that cause Divisions amongst you, contrary to the Doctrine ye have learned, and avoid them. For they that are such, serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own Bellies; and by good Words, and fair Speeches, deceive the Hearts of the Simple. For so long as such Deceivers are marked by the People, for Godly and Precious Men, (as to my Knowledge, the greatest Rebels, even Ferguson himself, hath been cried up as the Most powerful, and Soulsaving Preacher amongst them) it is impossible, but that all manner of Rebellious Principles will be planted in their Heads. But if our Magistrates would Mark such as make Divisions amongst us, contrary to the Doctrine we have received in our Church, so as to execute our Laws with all Vigour against them; and if all the People would so Mark them, as to Avoid them, it would be impossible for them to turn our Faith into Faction, and our Religion into Rebellion. And methinks, they have shown themselves such barefaced Rebels to all our Nation, that he that can still have such a Kindness for them, as to continue still to follow them, doth clearly demonstrate to the World, that he hath but very little Loyalty to his King, or Religion to his GOD. Let me Conclude All with this short Prayer: That God Almighty would Unite all our Hearts in the Ways of True Religion towards Him, of Temperance and Sobriety towards ourselves, of Justice and Charity towards all Men, and of Duty and Loyalty towards our Sovereign: And that, as He hath so signally Overturned His Enemies, and given Him the Crown and Diadem, whose right it is; so He would please to Establish the Work that He hath wrought amongst us, upon the sure Foundations of Peace, Truth, and Righteousness: And that to this End, He would bless our KING with length of Days, and all Happiness in this Life; and finally, Crown Him with Immortal Glory. To which Prayer, I am sure, every True Son of our Loyal Mother, the Church of England, cannot but hearty say, AMEN. Now, To God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, (the Great Disposer of all Things, and the Giver of all Victories) be ascribed (as is most due) all Praise and Glory, Majesty and Dominion, now and for evermore, AMEN. FINIS.