The Kings Return.  
A SERMON PREACHED At WINCHCOMB in Gloucestershire UPON The KINGS-DAY, Thursday, May 24. 1660.  
By CLEMENT BARKSDALE.  SENECA. Rex velit honesta, nemo non eadem volet. 
LONDON, Printed for R. Royston at the Angel in Ivye-lane, 1660.   

The KING'S Return.  II. SAM. XV. 25. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again. 
MEN are generally : they see things before their feet, taking but little or obscure notice of the hand of Heaven, moving and disposing the Affairs and Events of this World. When Adversity befalls us, we complain of our Enemies, of bad Luck and Fortune: and when we prosper, we applaud ourselves, our own Wit and Diligence: in both cases forgetting God for the most part, or remembering him in a very cold and heartless manner.  
Hence it is, that so many are discontented and murmur when things go cross against them; that so many are proud and unthankful in the time of their successes and prosperity. Whereas a right looking up to God in both conditions would keep us still in a right frame and temper; not suffer us to swell with pride, nor sink into despair.  
Thus it is in our private Estates, and much more it is thus in the Public, in the great Affairs of Kingdoms and Commonwealths. Suppose a King, a religious King, be forced from his Throne, and live as a banished man, persecuted and almost forsaken, how apt are we to look only upon the rebellious, cruel, ambitious party that cast him out; a party that pretended Godliness, but shown no Humanity: and in the mean, not consider at all the Providence of God, who thus afflicts the King to try his Patience, to exercise and improve his Graces, to prepare him for the greater Glory, and make him the greater blessing and more welcome to his people?  
Again, the King returns, and is brought home unto the Throne of his Fathers: Here also we are prone to forget God, and magnify the Valour, and Prudence, and Loyalty of a most Noble General, and an obedient Army; and to ascribe much to the wisdom and endeavours of a blessed Parliament; and to commend the forwardness of a gallant Nobility and Gentry, and of a Loving People: Whereas God is the prime Author, and Contriver and Doer of all: He gins, and continues, and perfects this Glorious Work.  
If the King send gracious Messages, He moves the heart of the King: if the Parliament return dutiful and grateful Answers, He stirs up the heart of the Parliament: If the General ride on prosperously, He gives the General good speed: If the Navy have a safe arrival, He sends the favourable wind, he fills the sails, he is the Safeguard, he the Conductor, that brings the King, and the Nobles, and the Captains, and all the Royal Retinue to the Haven where they would be.  
This is Opus Diei, this Thankful acknowledgement of God's wonderful Hand, is the business of the day: and I could not think upon a fit Text, than these words of King David. David is an excellent example to teach us a right behaviour in both Conditions. He is driven from Jerusalem by Conspiracy and Rebellion, and afterwards returns with victory and honour; and in both, in his being driven out, and in his bringing back, he seethe God's hand, he acknowledgeth God's providence. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again. The same Lord, that thath been pleased to chastise me by the Rebellion of my seduced people, can bring them to a better understanding of all things, and change their hearts, and turn their Affections towards me, and by them restore me to Jerusalem again, and to the peaceable possession of my Kingdom.  
The words, without any straining, will fairly yield us these two Propositions:  
1. It is the Lords doing to bring the King again: however, under God, as we shall see, there are divers Means and Instruments, yet certainly it is the Lords doing.  
II. To bring the King again is a signal favour of the Lord: a favour to the King, and a favour to the People also.  
When I shall have considered these two Propositions or Observations, first in relation to King David, and then in relation to King Charles: where some of our lines will run very parallel: I shall in conclusion, exhort to Thankfulness; not only a verbal, but a real Thankfulness, for this so great a work of the Lord, so great a favour in the return of our most gracious Sovereign. This is the Lords doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.  

I. It is the Lords doing, to bring the King again.  
The proof of this Proposition is, either general, or particular.  
1. General, thus; It is the Lord, that as he made the world, so he governs the world. It did not become the Wisdom of God, when he had by his infinite Power produced and built up this excellent frame of Heaven and Earth, and all things contained therein, to forsake the work of his hands, and leave it to the blind guidance of Chance and Fortune. No: as he made the world by his Power, and disposed it in a beautiful order; so he rules it by his Wisdom; and his Providence shineth forth unto us in those various strange events we behold, that many times may beget in us admiration, and sometimes tempt us to infidelity. Afflicted Piety, persecuted Innocence, on the one hand; Prosperous Wickedness, Triumphant Injustice, on the other hand, hath sometimes staggered the faith of weak man: but when we behold Innocence relieved, Piety rewarded; when we perceive the prosperity and success of wicked men, and ungodly Usurpers to be on the sudden over thrown, and themselves brought to ruin and destruction, and their Names and Memories to not and perish: Then, absolvimus Deum, we acquit God; no longer suspect, but magnify his Justice and Providence: Then we say, Verily there is a God that judgeth the world: God reignetb in the Heaven and in the Earth: The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. From this general Providence of God and his care in the Government of the world, we cannot but conclude, It is the Lards doing to bring the King again.  
2. The more special and particular proof is thus: God, as he hath a care of all things, so more especially of men; and among all men, most of those that are styled Gods, his Vicegerents and Deputies, Kings and Princes upon Earth: and among all Kings, God hath a peculiar care of religious Kings, such as David was, such as our Sovereign is. Great deliverance giveth he unto his King: not deliverance alone, but great deliverance: And showeth mercy to his Anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore: Not to David only, but to his seed; not for the present only, but for evermore.  
This is in the end of the 18. Psalms, and in the beginning of the 21. The King shall joy in thy strength, O Lord, and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! The strength of the Lord, and the Salvation of the Lord is upon the King, and this is matter of joy and rejoicing to him and to all good people. For it is the usual Method of Providence to convey blessings to the people by the King: As the Ointment poured on Aaron's head ran down to the skirts of his garment; so a blessing on the King, when his Royal Person is brought home in safety and honour, and established in the Throne, descends through the whole body of the Realm, even to the skirts and borders of the Land. And therefore we may conclude the care of God in the preservation of the King, to be a principal and peculiar care. When the King is brought home, it is the Lords doing.  
A further proof hereof we may draw from another speech of King David concerning Shimei, ch. 16. where he acknowledges even the cursing of that wicked man to proceed in some sort from the Lord. I say in some sort, i. e. not with his allowance & approbation, but by his permission; for this was permitted and directed by the Lord for David's humiliation: and that use the good King makes of this persecution by the railing tongue of Shimei. Now if this evil was from the Lord, surely that good must be from the Lord, and that in a more proper sense. As it was the Lord that afflicted David in his expulsion, so it was the same Lord that mercifully comforted David by a happy restauration.  
To speak a little of our David, by way of parallel: How patiently his most Excellent Majesty hath endured his 12. years' banishment, how much he hath been bettered by his sufferings; you perceive by his own words, the true character of his Princely mind. Should I say that he hath exceeded David, as in the measure of his sufferings, so in the measure of his patience, and in his clemency and easiness to forgive, you would think it perhaps an excess of speech. Certainly, our King, in his gracious Letters and Declaration shows himself of a most Christian temper, and as well deserves the title Christianissimus, as Defensor Fidei. We have great reason to believe, he hath taken his afflictions as from the hand of God, and that it is the same God, that doth now by wonderful ways and means bring him again.  
For, though God be the prime Cause and Author, yet under God, as I said, there be means and instruments of the King's return, whether we look upon King David, or King Charles.  
And first for King David: Let us cast an eye upon the History: He had the service of a faithful and discreet Counsellor, Hushai the Archite, to defeat the counsels of the politic Achitophel, v. 34. He had Zadoc and Abiather the Priests, with their two sons Ahimaez and Jonathan to give him secret Intelligence from the Enemy's quarters, v. 35. He had those valiant Triumvirs, Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, and many gallant Captains and loyal Soldiers on his side, ch. 18. He had a reconciled General, Amasa, to bow the hearts of the men of Judah, as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word unto the King, Return Thou and all thy Servants, ch. 19 14. He had Barzillai to conduct him over Jordan, v. 31. Noble Barzillai, a very aged man, a very great man, and a very good man, Who had provided the King of sustenance, v. 32. Yea, all the people of Judah conducted the King, and half the people of Israel, v. 40. Thus for King David.  
Now for King Charles, the Means also of his return are worthy to be mentioned, and truly they are never to be mentioned without honour. I shall but briefly name them, and but some of them neither, such as are most apparent to us. We cannot give them praise enough, but must here fly to our Juvate posteri: Posterity must help us to give them their deserved Glory.  
In the first place appears his Excellency, the Lord General; who, by his declaring for a Free Parliament, gave great hopes to all loyal Hearts of the Kings Return; conceiving well, that as a force upon the Parliament overthrew the King, so the Freedom of Parliament would restore the King. What prudent Counsels, what faithful Endeavours, what happy Successes, his Excellency hath used and enjoyed all along, must be the work of some worthy Historian to relate and record for after Ages to admire.  
Next, are to be remembered the Honourable Secluded Members: who, as they had been secluded and forced away from the House for their Votes and endeavours to free the late King, the Royal Father of glorious Memory, and to bring him home to the Parliament with safety and honour: So, when they were lately restored to their places, made it their business, and the business of the Honourable Council of State, to prepare the way for the Return of the Royal Son, his most Excellent Majesty now reigning.  
We may not here forget the many Petitions and Declarations, presented to the General in his March towards London, by the Gentry specially in several Counties: nor the Addresses made to the famous City of London, nor the great Aids of the City itself; nor the later Declarations of this and other Counties, all tending to the restoring of the Liberties both of Church and State, to the healing of our wounds, the making up of our breaches, and to that which might consummate and crown all the rest of our desires, the return of the King.  
To send for the King and receive his Majesty was an honour reserved by the Providence of God for this present Parliament, consisting both of Lords and Commons: this most Honourable Parliament, having in it the Flower of the English Nobility and Gentry; this blessed Parliament, thrice blessed; because the means of a threefold blessing, a blessing on the King, a blessing on the State, and a blessing on the Church.  
Amongst the means of the King's return, I shall in the last place mention, that which is not surely of the least efficacy, the Prayers of the Church; the lately persecuted Ministers of the Church of England, and of the good people adhering to them. Faithful Prayers are of great power with God; and the King himself is said to have openly professed, that his business is most advanced by the Prayers of religious people, whom he esteemeth as the best of his Subjects. Prayers for the King are a Prime part of that Tribute we own his Majesty, even by the Law of Christ. Prayer is the fairest wind to bring him safe to land: Prayer is the surest Guard to preserve his Sacred Person: Prayer is the firmest Pillar to uphold his Throne. For Prayer procures the favour of the Lord; and it is the favour of the Lord, by which the King Returns, and Reigns, and Prospers.  
So I proceed from the first Proposition; It is the Lords doing to bring the King again; To the Second, To bring the King again is a Signal Favour of the Lord. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, etc.   

II. To bring the King again, is a Signal Favour of the Lord.  
And here I said, It is a Favour to the King, and a Favour to the People also.  
A Favour to the King: How great a Favour, will be manifest, if we consider, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from what to what, the King returns.  
1. King David returns from beyond Jordan to Jerusalem: from the way of the Wilderness, v. 23. to the Royal City. King Charles returns from beyond the Seas into Great Britain; now to be made, by his presence, again the most fortunate Island of the whole World. He returns from Holland, from Flanders, from Spain, from France, from Germany: in which foreign Countries he hath long wandered, as it were in a Wilderness: to his own dear Country, to his own City, to famous London, the Chamber of his Empire, to renowned Westminster, the Seat of his Parliament, to White-Hall his Royal Palace.  
2. King David returns from Poverty to Riches, from want to plenty, from being fed by the bounty of old Barzillai at Mahanaim, to feed Barzillai if he please, or at least his son Chimham at his Table in Jerusalem. King Charles returns from a necessitous condition, wherein he disdained not relief from the bounty of others, to a flourishing Estate, to distribute bounties and graces and benefits to all.  
3. King David returns from his flight; a most sad and dangerous flight. All the Country wept with a loud voice, v. 23. & v. 30. David wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up weeping as they went up. As his flight was sad, so it was dangerous: he escaped narrowly from the mischievous counsel of Achitophel, ch. 17. King Charles also fled, but it was after he had in his own Person fought valiantly (even in the judgement of his great Enemy) in that unhappy Battle at Worcester. 'Twas a cruel Fight, and a sad Flight; and a difficult, yea miraculous miraculous escape. The King took upon him the form of a Servant, and the Lord brought him (by the ministry of some Noble Persons) safe over the Sea, and now returns him and exalts him after his humiliation▪ He brings him again with Honour and Majesty. Such preparations, such Attendance, such Solemnities, such Rejoicing and Acclamations, as are beyond the reach of my understanding and the expression of my tongue.  
4. King David returns to the Ark of God and the Tabernacle, to the enjoyment of the Solemn Worship of God. This is that he most longed for: As the Heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God: My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God Psal. 42. This is that he promiseth himself, The Lord will bring me again, and show me his Ark and its habitation. King Charles returns from among strangers; that are, I will not say, of another Religion; because the Creed, the Commandments, and the Lords Prayer (the Fundamentals) are common to us; but of another way and manner of Religion; having mixed the Truth with Errors and Superstitions: where yet his Majesty, by the singular Grace of God, hath preserved himself pure and untainted: He returns home, not only to enjoy himself, but to give his Kingdoms too the public exercise of true Religion, liberty of solemn and regular Devotions, and a free Administration of the Word and Sacraments. This, this, Beloved, is the Glory of his Majesty's return: That Religion returns with the King: Not only Peace and Prosperity to the State; but peace and prosperity to the Church returns with the King. And therefore in this chief, as in other respects, the bringing home of the King is a signal Favour of the Lord.  
A Favour to the King, and a Favour to the People also: as you will further perceive, if you consider, that his Majesty hath bound up his own Interest (to use his own words) entirely with that of his Subjects, and is as ready to give any thing (for the Public good) as they are to receive.  
1. Is it not a Favour to the People, to have Religion established, and good Order prescribed for the public Service of God, and a lawful Ministry countenanced and maintained? that the people may be no longer tossed to and fro with every wind of new Doctrine, nor seduced by false unordained Teachers, nor deprived any longer of the benefit and comfort of the Holy Sacraments for themselves and their children: This is one benefit, and the chief of all by the King's return.  
2. Is it not a favour to the people, to have a firm Peace settled in the State upon true Foundations: to have reverence and obedience paid to the Fundamental Laws of the Land: to have Justice equally and impartially administered to all men: to have vice suppressed, and virtue advanced: to have Trade open, and Oppression shut: every man to sit under his own Vine, and enjoy his own as well as the King enjoys his own: This is also a Benfit, and a very great one, by the Kings Return.  
3. Is it not a Favour to have heavy burdens unloosed, to have the oppressed set free and every yoke broken: that the banished be called home, the ejected and sequestered relieved, the suffering party eased and refreshed: This is another Benefit of the Kings Return.  
4. Is it not a Favour, that such as have, in these late calamitous times, either wilfully or weakly transgressed their bounds, and have either invaded the Kings or their fellow-subjects rights, should be assured of pardon and reconciliation; and that all uncharitableness and animosity, all notes of discord, separation, and difference of parties should be utterly abolished: This is another, and a very considerable Benefit of the Kings Return.  
Wherefore, being there are so many Benefits and Blessings brought home unto us with our Gracious Sovereign, we cannot but acknowledge the favour to be a signal Favour both to King and People: a Favour never to be forgotten: a Favour deserving all Thankfulness. That's the Use we are to make of it, to be truly Thanful. And now, having laid sufficient grounds and motives for the Duty, in conclusion I must briefly exhort you to it.   

Use.  
When Liberty was proclaimed to the Grecians, after long Oppression, the People cried out to the Herald, to proclaim it again and again, delighting and rejoicing in the very sound and voice of Liberty. England hath been long exercised; and almost exhausted by great and unsupportable calamities; and how can we choose but exult, when we hear of Liberty? How can we choose but break forth into thanks and praises for our freedom and deliverance? How can we choose but testify the Thankfulness of our hearts, by glorifying God in our life and conversation? Our Thankfulness must begin at the heart, be expressed by the mouth, be testified and completed by our hands in our daily actions.  
1. Our hearts must be thankful. And truly unless our expressions come from this root, they will quickly die and come to nothing. O let your hearts be loyally affected towards God the King of Kings, and loyally affected to God's Vicegerent our gracious Sovereign: Have honourable Thoughts of God and the King: and then out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will be filled.  
2. Our Mouths also must be thankful. The Lord open our lips, that our mouth may show forth his praise. Vocal praise in the Congregation, in the singing of Psalms, is a comely thing: and you need not be ashamed of it in your private Houses: yea, you may sweeten your business, and comfortably pass away your solitary times by holy Music. Hear the Psalmist: Praise ye the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live, will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises to my God, while I have any being, Psal. 146. And Psal. 147. Praise ye the Lord, for it is good to sing praises to our God: for it is pleasant, and praise is comely. God must be praised, as in singing, so in speaking: in our ordinary discourses, we should delight to make mention of the loving kindness of the Lord; delight to make a thankful remembrance of the peace and plenty, of the liberty and protection, of the deliverances and mercies, which God hath bestowed upon our Land; delight to speak reverently of the King, who is under God the Minister and the Preserver of these mercies for us: Bless God, and bless the King: Obey God, and obey the King. For  
3. Our Actions also must be thankful: and without this real Thankfulness by our Obedience, all our verbal and ceremonial expressions are of no account. Obedience is that which God requires, Obedience is that which the King desires of you: Obedience to the Laws of God, and to the Laws of the King. When we do all in our places and stations perform our duty; Ministers their duty, Magistrates their duty, and every sort and rank of people their duty, then are we all truly Thankful.  
1. The Ministers that are the Guides of the people in spiritual things, and by good Doctrine and good example are to lead them in the ways of God; they must testify their thankfulness by attending more duly, and giving themselves more devoutly to the Ministry of the Word and Prayer. O that the daily Sacrifice, that hath long ceased, might now be renewed in every Parish. In this Parish (till better provision be made) I shall be glad to celebrate Morning Prayer at the ringing of the School-bell. Pray take notice of it, and let one at least out of every Family be spared to assist in the public Service of God.  
2. The Magistrates, that have power in civil things, and by execution of good Laws of the Land, and by their own good behaviour, are to keep peace and order among the people, they must testify their Thankfulness by a more faithful discharge of their Office. Keep up the respect due to Authority: join yourselves together as one man, and this Union will strengthen you to suppress any disorders among your Inferiors. Consult maturely for the common good, determine soberly, execute courageously; and let every public Officer be a man of a public spirit, knowing there is some ray of Majesty descending on him, and that he is God's Minister and the Kings.  
3. Let all people of all ranks and qualities testify their Thankfulness, old and young, rich and poor. Let the Elder men and Fathers by their gravity and wisdom be guides and examples to the younger, rejoicing that they have lived to see this blessed restauration; and that they may now assure and comfort themselves, that their children shall be bred in true Religion, and under lawful Governors. Let the younger testify their thankfulness by their sober-mindedness and modesty, and readiness to follow the steps of their wiser Fathers, rejoicing that they have happy times before them, and are likely to have a greater share in the fruits of his Majesty's just and gracious Government. Let the richer sort show themselves really thankful by their bounty and liberality to the poor, and by their other works of piety and charity: and let the poor be thankful too in their way, by their patience and contentedness; by their diligence and painfulness in some honest labour.  
Lastly, Let every one without exception make it his chief care to serve and fear God, and next to God to honour and obey the King: this being the best way, to engage God to continue and enlarge his mercies and favours to us; the best way, to make sure of God to be our God for ever, and to make sure of the King to be our King, so long, till it shall please God to remove him to that Kingdom, which alone is better than this, the Kingdom of Heaven.  
In the mean, it is our Happiness, our Joy, and our Crown, that we have such a King, the Son of such a Father, that thought not his life dear unto him, but laid it down for the Church and People committed to his care: Such a King, instructed by such a Father in the Art to govern justly, prudently and mercifully: Such a King, as God hath miraculously for us, and delivered from many dangers, and brought his Royal Person through many Trials, that he might be more precious, like Gold tried in the fire, and appear unto his people with the greater splendour: Such a King, as is mindful of these his Sufferings, not to revenge them, but to make a good use of his Afflictions, and to be bettered by them: To conclude, such a King, in whom all good men do hope to find that Wisdom, that Justice, that Clemency, that Piety, which will undoubtedly render him the Glory of Kings, and the Joy of all his Subjects. Which God of his infinite Mercy grant through Jesus Christ our Lord.   
Amen.   

A Prayer.  
O Most glorious God, the Creator and Governor of all the world, we acknowledge thine infinite mercy to this lately distracted and distressed Nation. It is thy hand, thy power, thy favour, whereby this happy Change is brought to pass; Thou hast inclined the heart of the King to his People, and Thou hast inclined the heart of the People to their King. We know, O Lord, it is thy doing, and we look upon it with admiration as a wonderful favour both to the King and People. We beseech thee, accept our Thanks and Praise, which we offer up unto thee with all our hearts and with unfeigned lips. And we beseech thee also to enable us, as we desire to testify our Thankfulness by our Obedience in the whole course of our lives: that all the People of the Land, Ministers and Magistrates, young and old, rich and poor, doing their duty in their several places, and glorifying thy Name by a godly Conversation, Thou mayst still delight to dwell amongst us, to do us good, and to continue thy favour to us from generation to generation. We pray thee multiply thy best blessings upon our Sovereign Lord the King, upon the most Illustrious Prince the Duke of York, and upon the rest of the Royal Progeny; upon the House of Lords and Commons, upon the Lords of his Majesty's Privy Council, upon all the Nobility and Gentry of this Kingdom: Bless, we pray thee, the Judges and Magistrates, the Bishops and Ministers, the Soldiers and Scholars, all orders and degrees of men, that all may live in thy fear, in obedience to the King, and in brotherly love and concord. O let not the Sword devour any more, nor the noise of War be heard in our Land: Quiet the spirits of all parties, take away our carnal animosities, and vain opinions, that we may all gladly close in a perfect reconciliation under our gracious King. As thou hast made him an example of forgivenness and mercy, so grant that all his Subjects may show mercy to one another, being tenderhearted and forgiving one another, as God for Christ's sake is ready to forgive us all. Lord perfect thine own work, and make us such as thou wouldst have us, and deal with us not according to our deserts, but according to thine own infinite Mercies in Jesus Christ: For whom we ever bless thee, in whom we crave acceptance with thee, and to whom with Thee, O Father, and thy Holy Spirit, one Eternal God, be all Honour and Glory, now and for ever.  
Amen.  
The End.