Britannia Rediviva, Or A GRATULATORY SERMON For His MAJESTY'S safe Arrival and happy Restitution to the exercise of His Royal GOVERNMENT. Preached, at the desire of the Magistrates and Council of ABERDENE, on the XIX of June, which they had designed to be a day of Solemn Rejoicing within the City, for the Mercy above mentioned, By JOHN MENZEIS, Professor of Divinity: and Preacher of the Gospel in ABERDENE. Psal. 118. This is the day which the LORD hath made: We will rejoice and be glad in it. TERTULL. ad Scapulam. Colimus IMPERATOREM sic quomodo et nobis licet, et ipsi expedit, ut hominem a DEO secundum, et quicquid est a DEO consecutum, et solo DEO minorem. Hoc et ipse volet. Sic omnibus major est, dum solo vero DEO minor est. ABERDENE, Printed by James Brown, Ann. 1660. Unto The Right Honourable, JOHN JAFFRAY L. Provost. bailiffs. Patrick Moir Gilbert Grace Alexander Alexander Gilbert Molysone Thomas Mercer Dean of Gild. Thomas Mitchell Thesaurer: And to the rest of the Honourable COUNCIL of the City of Aberdene. Right Honourable, UPon your call and invitation, this Sermon was preached, and now your command hath drawn it to the press. I cannot but observe a Divine overruling Providence, that thongs I have been often solicited, to publish other Papers, both casuistique and Polemique, yet my first appearance in print, (if ever there shall be a next,) most needs be on such a Royal Theme. I account it my mercy, that the Lord hath honoured me, not only by the vocal delivery of this ensuing discourse, to excite our hearers unto, but now also by the printing thereof, to be (though the meanest, yet) among the standing Remembrancers, of these two great duties, to which the LORD is signally calling these Nations, viz. Thankfulness to the Most High God, for the late wonderful deliverance of Britain & Ireland; and (which is the root of the former) Christian Loyalty to our GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN, whom the Lord hath with an outstretched arm repossessed with his due rights. Loyalty was the glory of the Primitive Christians, Confessors & Martyrs, both under the heathen Persecutions in the first three centuries, & afterwards under Heretical Emperors: as CONSTANTIUS, VALENS, VALENTINIAN the younger, Arrians: ANASTASIUS, an EUTYCHIAN: HERACLIUS, a Monothelite: yea under JULIAN himself who from Christianity did shamefully apostatise, to gross Heathenism. Did not the body of julian's Army consist of Christians? did they not in evidence hereof, instantly upon the death of JULIAN, proclaim JOVINIAN, a zealous Christian, EMPEROR? When JOVINIAN, fearing lest the Army had been ledvened with Heathenism, declined the Empire, protesting that he would not be an Emperor to Heathens; Did they not all with one voice, (as witnesseth SOCRATES hist. Eccles. lib. 3. cap. 19 & Theod. hist. Eccles. lib. 4. cap. 1.) profess themselves Christians, some from the days of CONSTANTINE, Others from the days of CONSTANTIUS? Lo a Christian Army, which retained their allegiance under the worst of Princes, under that Heathenish Apostate JULIAN, whom NAZIANZEN Orat. 1. adversus JULIAN. affirms to have been more pernicious, in his Contrivances against the Church, then either DIOCLESIAN, or MAXIMINUS. In the Army of VALENS an Arrian Emperor and bloody Persecutor were not many of his commanders both sound in the faith and precious godly men, as Terentius, Trajanus Arintheus & Victor; who not only publicly professed the truth; but also with such humble freedom as became Loyal Subjects, did represent to the Emperor (as is recorded by Theod. hist. Eccl. lib. 4. capp. 28. 29.) his heresis and opposition to a fundamental truth of Gul. Barclayus lib. de potest. pape, cap. 7. the Gospel? yet, as one says, In tam Religiosa libertate, manus abstinuerunt, nec ultra admonitionem processit indignatio. They abstained from all violence, and contained themselves within the bounds of Loyal freedom of admonition. Did not Valentinian the younger, who also was Arrian, acknowledge that Ambrose had such influence upon his Army, that if he would have given a word to the Soldiers, they would have seized on the Emperor, and laid him fast: Hence Ambrose LIB. 5. epist. 33. to Marcellina his sister, brings in the Emperor speaking thus, Si vobis jusserit AMBROSIUS vinctum me tradetis. But precious Ambrose was acted by another spirit. Of the heroïck Loyalty of the more ancient Christians under the heathen persecutions, even then when the Lord had so exceedingly increased their numbers, that they wanted not strength to have repulsed the injuries which they sustained from Heathens; Is not TERTULL. a speaking witness, Apologet. cap. 37. Vel una nox etc. In one night (says he) we could avenge ourselves, if it were lawful with us to recompense evil with evil, Si malum malo dispungi penes nos licerer: sed absit, ut aut igni humano vindicetur divina secta, aut doleat pati, in quo probatur etc. These and other pregnant instances of primitive Loyalty, we left upon record sundry years' ages, in our public Divinity Lectures in the famous College of this City, founded by the Most Noble Lord, the Earl MARISCHALL; cherished by the Honourable Council of this Burgh; authorised by that Most Illustrious MONARCH, K. JAMES the VI And further endowed and united with the Old College into one CAROLINE UNIVERSITY, by K. CHARLES the FIRST, of ever Glorious Memory. To theses now only I add the testimony of judicious CALVINE, (though it were easy to muster up an Army, of testimonies, from Reformed Divines, yielding a most harmonious Echo, to the Loyalty of these Ancient Worthies.) in his Commentary on Rom. 13. upon these words v. 3. Rulers, are not a terror, unto good works; but to the evil: wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good. On which, learned Calvine commenteth thus. Hic de vero, et quasi nativo Magistratus officio loquitur; a quo tametsi non raro degenerant, qui Principatum tenent: nihilominus deferenda est illis Obedientia, quae Prinicpib' debetur. Nam si malus Princeps, flagellum est ad punienda populi delicta, illud fieri nostro vitio cogitemus; quod eximia Dei benedictio nobis vertatur in maledictionem, ideoq, non desinamus bonam Dei ordinationem revereri: and again, upon these words, v. 5. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. Ergo (sayeth Calvin) etiamsi exarmatus esset Magistratus, quem impunè lacessere & contemnere liceret; nihilo magis esset id tentandum, quam si poenam statim imminere cerneremus. O how dissonant to the primitive Loyalty of Christians is the usurpation, of the Bishop of Rome? who spared not to rob Leo Isaurus of a part of the Empire; Henry the iv of Germany, of the whole; Childerick of the Kingdom of France: not to mention the horrid murder of the two Henry's, the III. and iv Of Pope Sixtus the V his approbation of the murder of Henry the III. Of the jesuits approbation of, & accession to the murder of both the Henry's, see, beside others, Burrhill pro Tortura Torti count. Became. 18. §. 3. p. 188. 189. of France; the many treasonable contrivanses against Queen Elizabeth; the Powder-plet against K. James etc. Neither are these only the practices of Papists, but are also founded upon their doctrinal principles, as may appear by these four. The ¶ Four Jesuisish principles. First is, That men in Church-orders to to whom they appropriate the title of Clerici, cannot be punished by any Politic Magistrate, though they keep not the Civil Laws. So expressly Bell. lib. 1. de Clericis cap. 28. prop. 3. Yea a little after, he spares not to say, That their Clergiemen, are exempted by the Pope, a subjectione Princip●m saecularium, from subjection to secular Princes. How can these men be good subjects, who do not acknowledge themselves subjects at all? Their Second Principle is, That what is revealed by confession to their Priests, though it were a conspiracy, against the life of the KING, or safety of the Kingdom; yet they ought not to discover it. Val de sac. So commonly their Schoolmen, in their debates, De sigillo confessionis, poen. disp. 7. as Valentia, Valques, Suares, Lugo etc. Hence Garnet the jesuits q. 13. pun. 4. superior in England, who suffered, for his accession to the Powder-plot, Vas. in 3. p. q. 93. art. 4. dub. could pretend no other excuse, for concealing 10. Suar. in 3. p. Tom. 4. disp. that treasonable design, but because, at 33. sect 1. n. 2. Lug. the sacr. he alleged, (though the contrary was made out poen. disp. 23▪ sect. 4. in the process,) it was revealed to him only by confession. And this is one of the grounds upon which Suarez, made bold to condemue the Oath of Allegiance. tendered to K. James as sacrilegious, * Suar. l. 6. de defension fidei Catholicae cont. Anglican● sects errores c. 3. n. 8. & 9 because it required the discovery of Conspiracies, though only revealed under their imaginary seal of Confession. I know Suarez in end, to wipe off, if possible, the odium of this pernicious doctrine, yields that Conspiracies revealed by confession, may be discovered. But it's with these Cautions ¶ Suar. loc. cit. n. 11. 12 1 That the person guilty, be neither directly nor indirectly discovered. 2. That it be done in favours of a Catholic, (that is a Popish) & pious Prince. Then Protestant Princes whom they hold for heretique's, are to expect no such favour; yea nor popish Princes, whom they▪ upon any prejudice, shall judge not to be pious. And 3. That they be so far from discovering the guilty person on persons, that they be not so much as exposed to a Moral or probable hazard of being discovered by further inquiries. † Is not this on the matter, to retractat his for mere seeming concession? Nay rather they will expose both the King & kingdom to certain ruin. Whether this doctrine be consistent with the security of the State, let the WORLD, but specially protestant Princes, judge. Their third Principle is, That the Pope, by his illimited authority, can absolve subjects from their obedience due to Princes, & ●ak void all oaths of allegiance how solemnly so ever they be taken. This Suarez holds out to be the received doctrine of the Church of Rome, in his sorecited treatise, de Defension fidei Catholicae, adversus Anglicanae sectae errores; (which he wrote against K. JAMES the sixth, 〈◊〉 Phoenix, for learning, at well as for other Royal endowments, among the Princes of his age) in which * Spalat. Ostens'▪ error. Suarez two, c. 3. n. 58. calls this book of Suar●z, librum pestiferum, seditionm Magistrun, rebellionun buccinam. the jesuits grand scope, (as seems) is to teach subject's principles of sedition and rebellion against Princes when they are not subservient to the Pope's interest▪ Hence l. ●. c. 22. he undertaks to prove this Position; Reges Christianos non solum quoad personas, sed etiam quoad regiam potesta●em, i. non solum ut homines sed etiam ut Reges Christianos potestati Pontificis subjici. The English of it is, That Kings not only as to their Per●ons, but also as to their Royal Authority; not only as men, but also as Christian Kings are subject to the Pope's jurisdiction. Behold, the jesuite with one blow▪ degrading all the Monarches of Europe & reducing them to the Order of Subjects. Neither is this the private opinion, of this on jesuite, for he declares §. 2. of that same cap. that this his assertion, communi Catholicorum consensu recepta est is received by common consent of his pretended Catholics. But here he rests not. In the next cap▪ which is the 23. he lays down this position as the received doctrine of their Fathers, Pontificem Summum potestate coeroiva in Reges u●● posse, usque ad depositionem, That is, That the Pope may exercise his coercive power over kings even to the deposing of them. Yea this they have made an Article of their Faith, in their fourth Lateran Council, * Concil. Later. ●. cap. 3. Si Dominus temporalis requisitus et monitus ab Ecclesi●, terram suam purgare neglexeri● ab haeretica foe●itate— significetur, hoc summo Pontifici ut ex tunc vasallos ab ejus fidelitate denunciet absolutos, et terram exponat catholicis occupandam qui eam sine ulla contradictione possideant. I know Spalat. lib. 6. de repub. Eccl. cap. 10. n. 96 et seqq. labours to prove, That albeit these Later an canons were exhibited by the Pope to the Council, yet no sentence or definition passed on them. But what ever be of this, our charge holds ad hominem against Bell. and the rest of that tribe: for they hold these Canons, as the authentic decrees of a General Council. under Innocent the Third. Suarez his drift through all his fixth book, is to dispute against the giving or keeping of the O●●h of allegiance to protestant Princes. Yea cap. 4. of that book §. 18. he is not afraid to affirm, That the pope may not only ●epose kings, but also take their lives; & that its law full to any private person commissionated by the Pope to kill the KING. Si Papa (sayeth he] Regem deponat, ab illis tantum poterit expelli, et interfici, quibus ipse (Papa) id commiserit, That is, If the Pope depose the King▪ he can only be exposed and killed by these whom the Pope commissionats for that effect. Spalat. in ostens. errorum Suarez two, cap. 6. n. 27. is so astonished at these hellish tenets, orco digna, as his phrase is, that he breaks forth into these words, Mihi dum haec lego, oculi stupent, dum haec transcribo manus contremiscit: his eyes failed him and ha●ds trembled etc. I only add a fourth of their Principles, (though they who took pleasure to rake this dunghill, could easily fill a volume with such stuff from their writings) which Cardinal Bellarm. delyvers, lib 5. de Romano Pontifice, cap. 7. Rat. 3. Non licere Christianis tolerare Regem haereticum, si is conetur subditos in suam haeresin pertrahere. That it's not lawful for subjects, to tolerat an Heretical King, if he labour to draw his subjects to his heresy. It not this to blew a Trumpet for rebellion? because of these and such like Popish principles, our gravest Divines, among the rest learned Davenant, in his book entitled, Determinationes quarundam Quaestionum Theologicarum quaest. 17● have most deservedly concluded, ●esuiticos Pontificios non posse esse bonos subditos, That jesuited Papists can never be good subjects; and worthy Master Baxter in his Key for Catholics, part. 1. cap. 48. spares not to say, That Kings are not Kings, where the Pope is folly Pope. What need we more? It not Our Most Seren PRINCE of glorious memory K. james the VI a Witness beyond exception, Who in his Royal Apologi● for the oath of Allegiance, pagg. 279. and 280. inter opera Regia after a recital of twelve of Bellarmin's positions destructive to Royalty, such as That O impudent and prodigious tenets Kings, are rather servants than Lords: that they are subject not only to Popes, but also to Bishops & Presbyters, yea & to Deacons: That Emperors, must not take it ill, to drink, not only after the Bishop, but also after the Presbyter. That Ecclesiastic person's, are as far above Princes, as the soul in dignity is beyond the body: That the function and authority of Kings, is not immediately of God or of Divine right: That Kings may be deposed by their subjects: That Popes have deposed Emperors, but never did an Emperor depose a Pope etc. Who, I say, after a large recital of these and other of the jesuits pernicious tenets, most judiciously concludeth. Non magis opponi Christum Beliali, aut lucem tenebris, aut Coelum Inferno, quam Roberti Bellarmini, de Regibus opinio, Divinis Oraculis adversatur, That is, That the Devil is no more opposite to Christ, nor light to darkness, nor hell to Heaven, than the jesuite Bellarmine's opinion of Kings is repugnant to the divine Oracles of holy Scripture. But Alas! What shall I say? Is it not to be lamented, if it were possible with tears of blood? That so much advantage should have been given to the jesuited party for recrimination, to retort a charge of disloyal●●●● A GRATULATORY SERMON for His Majesty's safe ARRIVAL and happy restitution to the Exercise of His Royal Governments. PSAL. LXXI. Vers. 20. Thou which hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Vers. 21. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me ●n every side. Vers. 22. I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth O my GOD, unto thee will I sing with the harp, O th●● Holy One of Israel. IN the words read, (leaving to preface upon the The text divided. Psalm in general) we have these three things. First, A Great and a gracious King, David, the Royal Psalmist and sweet finger of Israel, expressing his sense of the deep troubles under which he● had groaned. Thou hast showed me great and s●re troubles. II. The same David from a well grounded persuasion of faith, promising to himself, from the Lord, as signal mercies, for the future, as his former afflictions had been bitter. Thou shalt quicken me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. We have him III. as one who well knew how to improve both rods and deliverances, solemnly engaging to be forthcoming for the Lords praise, I will The first branch subdivided. also praise thee with the Psalteri● even thy truth O my GOD. etc. I return, intending by a few short hints to pass through the words. In the first branch David, holds out 1. The principal Author of all his sad exercises: not Saul, not Doeg, not Absolom, (in time of whose unnatural conspiracy this psalm is thought to have been penned) But Thou O Lord, (says he,) Thou O holy Angustias multas et malas, Tremell. Magnas & malas, Pagnin et Montalto One of Israel, 2. He gives a touch of the bitterness of his exercises, he calls them, great and sore troubles, that is, depth distresses. But 3. w●e have faith's undervaluing prospect of all these evils. Sense had called them great & sore troubles; but faith in a manner correcting sense, says, Thou hast suè●●ed me great & sore troubles fecisti ut experirer, jun. et Tremell. But they acknowledge according to the hebrew, its Fecisti ut viderem, & hence Pagnin. Ostendisti, Thou hast made me to see or shown me, as if David had said, albeit sense do aggravate my afflictions, as great & sore troubles; yet faith gives me another estimat of them. It's but a transient view & show of trouble, which I have had, Thou who hast showed me great & sore trouble. The words of this branch are so plain, that they need not further explication, than what hath been insinuated in the division, Therefore I proceed to some doctrines. Doct. 1 Doct. 1. Great ones and good ones may be exercised with great and sore troubles. David, was both a great Prince and a good man; yet was he exercised with great and sore troubles. Ye will find the truth of this, if ye read the History of Sa●ls persecution, and of Absolems' usurpation, i● the books of Samuel. Was not Joseph an eminent Worthy? yet was he also exercised with great and sore troubles, The archers sorely grieved him, shot at him, and wounded him GEN. 49. 23. He was thrown into a pit, sold to Ishmaelits, after cast into a dungeon, and laid in the irons in a strange Land. But what speak I of David or of Joseph? Was there ever so great an One as our LORD CHRIST, the Son of the Highest? or so good an One, The holy and just One. Yet behold and see● if ever there was any sorrow like to His sorrow! The 1. reason of the Doctrine. A first reason of the point may be this, Great and heinous ●ins, bring on great and sore afflictions; I never knew any rational creature afflicted, but were sinners, either formally or by imputation. I add this caution, because of Our Lord Jesus who never knew sin, II. Cor. 5. 21. as to His own Person, He was conscious to himself of no wickedness, nor ever was guile found in his mouth, I. Pet. 2. 22. yet one spared not to say, (I pray mistake not the word,) that He was the greatest of sinners, namely by imputation: because all the sins of the Elect were imputed to Him and charged on Him, Isai. 53. 6. He laid on him the iniquities of us all. Dominus fecit occurrere in ●um ARR. MONT. he made all our iniquities to meet on Him, as so many violent streams of water meeting in one channel, and this imputed guiltiness of the Elect, was the ground of His unspeakable sufferings; But alas, All the ●est of Mankind beside our LORD, are inherently sinful, even this holy Prince David, so much renowned for his holiness, had his own spots, and these very foul. Indeed if I should say, that the greatest sufferers, are always the greatest sinners; I should sin against the generation of the righteous; for the Lord sometimes afflicts his own, more for the trial of their graces, then for the punishment of their transgressions, as is clear in the case of Job; Yet it is sin which renders us subjects capable of affliction: So that Eliphaz▪ word holds true, JOB. 5. 6. Affliction springs not out of the dust. Sin is the bitter root on which affliction grows. Reason second of the Doctrine. A second reason, The Lord exercises some of the sons of men with great and sore troubles, to fi● and prepare them for eminent trust and services; This was the design of God in exercising Joseph with these many and bitter afflictions, even to prepare him, for the great trust he was to put upon him; for He had appointed him to be a Prince and Governor next to Pharaoch, in that mighty kingdom of Egypt. Wherefore GEN. 50. 20. As for you, said he, to his brethren) ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good. Before the LORD set David upon the Throne, He would have him schooled by the cross, hunted like a Partridge, and chased from Nation to Nation; Thus the LORD fitted him for the trust to which he was designed. Hence ye● find him resolving in Psal. 101. when he comes to his Government, to himself with the zeal of God for cleansing, both Court and Nation of evil doers, A sweet fruit of a sanctified affliction. I desire confidently to believe, that this hath been the designs of God, in these great and sore troubles, wherewith He hath been pleased to exercise our GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN, to fit him for the Government, and to prepare him to be an eminent instrument of His Glory, in advancing the Reformed and Protestant Religion, both at home and abroad. And surly a sanctified affliction is a special means of God, to fit men, either for Civil or Ecclesiastic capacities. Schola crucis, sch●la lucis; The school of the cross is a school of light & instruction; Yea is it not said of our LORD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 5. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He learned by what he suffered Reason third of the Doct. Take only a hint of a third reason. If great ones & good ones were exempted from crosses, alas would they not be ready to say, It's good being here. But our Lord looks upon an Imperial Crown on earth as too low a Portion for a Saint. Therefore the Lord is pleased to mix water among their wine, that they may look & pant after that Crown of righteousness and Glory, that fadeth not away. The Lord had provided a better portion for David, than the Crown of Israel. I trust also for our LATE SOVEREIGN of ever blessed Memory, though bloody hands did rob him of his life & of an earthly Crown, yet could they not rob him of that incorruptible Crown of Glory; Nay by that horrid & inhuman parricide they did hasten him, to the possession thereof. I verily believe, It was the lively expectation of, and earnest breathe of his most precious soul after that Crown of Righteousness, which did so strengthen him to possess his soul with such admirable, heroic, and invincible patience, under so long 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, supra mo●● in sublimitate vulg. lat. Secundun excellentiam in excellentiam, ARR. MONT. mire supra modum Eras. In incredibilem modum, Aug. in Psalm. 93. per supergressū insuper. Tertull. in Scorp. cap. 13. Glori● excellenter excellentis. Beza. a tract of such barbarous and unheard of cruelties. According to that, II. Cor. 4. 17. 18. Our light affliction (so faith calls sharpest afflictions, when it eyes that hoped for Glory) which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, While we look not at the things which are seen; but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen, are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Whom would not the lively hope of this glory, animat to undergo any trials with patience? Use first of Doct. I only point at two words of use: and the first is, Dear People, take heed ye provoke not the Lord. If He spare neither the greatest nor the best of men, when they sin against him▪ how shall we escape? If He smite Cedars like David, with great and sore troubles; shall shrubs like us expect impunity? The Lord by the roads, wherewith he exercises great Ones and good ones demonstrates how hatfull sin is to him in all persons. Yea let Christ the Son of his love charge himself but with the trespasses of other men, He shall not escape the Cross, Rom, 8. 32. He spared not his own Son. Were this considered, and seriously believed: would we da●e to offend this sin-revenging Majesty of God? Surely when the judgements of God are on the land, (especially when he smyts great Ones & good ones) The inhabitants ought to learn righteousness. Is. 26. 8. Use second of doctrine. But my second word of use is, judge not hardly, I entreat you, of afflicted ones. The Lord may exercise a David, who was a darling, with great and sore troubles, yet the Lord had a design of love in all Davids afflictions; and made it out so convincingly to David's spirit, that he professes to the praise of the Lords goodness. Psalm. 119. 71. It was good for him he was afflicted, and v. 57 That the Lord in faithfulness had afflicted him. Luther was wont to say, Ecclesia est haeres crucis, and again, Omnis Christianus est crucianus, and again, I have not (said he) a greater argument against the Pope's kingdom, Quam quod sine cruce regnat, then that he reigns without a cross. The holy man was so far from looking upon outward prosperity as a Mark of the Church, that he rather looked on it as a badge of Antichrist. It hath pleased the Lord so to order, that our SOVEREIGN is come to his Crown by the cross. This should be so far from stumbling us, that it ought rather to raise both our prayers to God for him, and our expectations of him, the higher. Our earnest desire to the Lord ought to be, that it may more and more appear, that the Lord had a special design of love to him in all his sufferings, to make him the more instrumental for his own glory, & for the good of these Nations. What an hard beginning had illustrious QUEEN ELIZABETH? clapped up in the tower of London, carried from prison to prison, how oft was she in fears, either to be brought forth to public execution or to be secretly cut off? One day in her prison at Wood-stock, hearing a poor milkmaid singing cheerfully: O, said she, that my lot were exchanged with the condition of that poor milkmaid! Yea her sufferings were such, that as one says, she well deserved the tittle of Elizabeth the confessor, yet afterwards, what a glorious Princess did the Lord make her? What an eminent instrument was she for the establishment & propagation of the Gospel, both at home and abroad? with what a long and prosperous reign did the Lord bless her? so that the event did answer to that word, where with oft she prophetically solaced herself, in time of her afflictions: Flebile Principium, melior fortuna sequetur. Reverend Mr. Clark in her life says of her Her very afflictions through God's goodness did her so much good, that it is hard to say, whether she were more happy in having a Crown so soon, or in having it no sooner, till affliction had first laid in her a low and therefore sure foundation of humility, for highness to be afterwards built upon, by which means she was ripened for the future rule & sovereignty. Let our prayers to the Lord to day be, that the late sufferings of his MAJESTY who now reigns, may have the like blessed issue. And for a door of hope, we have his constant adherence to the Protestant Religion, in midst of so many temptations, and that most Christian Proclamation against profannes and debauchrie emitted shortly after his solemn reception in the city, which deserves to be printed in letters of gold. Such gracious beginnings are very promising. Doctrine second. But I proceed to this second doctrine, from the first branch of the text, It's a good sign of a sanctified affliction, when the hand of God is principally and religiously eyed in the rod. David had instruments and these most wicked to have looked after; as furious Saul, bloody D●eg, unnatural ambitious and treacherous Absolom, that fox Achitophel, that barking dog Shimei etc. But he looks above all these, THOU, says he, who hast showed me great & sore troubles. What a THOU is this? look to v. 22. the last of my text, THOU O my God, THOU O holy One of Israel, he eyes God principally in all. Jobs carriage is very remarkable as to this, job. 1. 21. Job does not charge Chaldeans, nor Sabeans, nor the Devil with his calamities, though they were most wickedly instrumental in them. He does not say, the Lord gave, but the Devil & his instruments have taken away: Nay as he acknowledges the Lord to be the giver, so also he eyes the hand of his Sovereign providence in taking away. The Lord, says he, gave, & the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. As remarkable is that of Joseph Gen. 45. 3. 4. 5. When he had revealed himself to his brethren, saying, I am Joseph whom ye sold into Egypt. They were so troubled, and as the margin varies it, terrified at his presence, through the conscience of their trespass against him, that they could not speak, nor I believe well look to him: But behold holy and precious Joseph his carriage, Come near, said he, my brethren, & be not grieved, for God did send me before you to preserve life. He looks more to the overuling hand of providence, then to them, in that wonderful dispensation. Ye know also David's mortified & heroic carriage, in the matter of Shimei, II. Sam. 16. 10. When Abishai would have executed justice on him, the King would not suffer him, For, said he, God hath said to Shimei, curse David. The religious eyeing of the hand of providence in the dispensation made David so moderate in executing just vengeance on such a Traitor. Use. Let the use of the point be for trial. There have been very sad rods these late years upon this land, upon our Kings, upon our Nobles, upon our Cities; who have not had a share in the stroke? Would ye know if the sanctified use be obtained, either of these common national rods, as each of us have been concerned in them, or of particular and personal exercises? look if ye have learned purely to eye the hand of divine providence in afflicting dispensations; THOU hast showed ●e great & sore troubles, said this Royal Psalmist. When the afflicting hand of God is purely eyed, the soul will first humble itself genuinly, & submissivelie under his mighty hand. I. Pet. 5. 6. It will secondly be very studious of a saving discovery of the sin, which hath provoked him, Job 34. 31. 32. The ear thirdly will be opened to discipline. Job 36. 8. 9, 10. There will be a listening to the voice of the rod: the duties will be observed to which the Lord calls, O that this may be BRITAIN'S mercy! O but that is a dreadful scripture, Isai 42. 24. 25. Who gav● Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the Lord against wh●●● we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle, and it ●ath set him on fire round about, yet he knew it not▪ and it burned him, yet he laid is not to heart. The Lord keep these lands from such a spiritual lethargy. I close the point with this word, A sanctified remembrance of the afflictions ●nder which we have lately been, eyeing principally in them the hand of divine Providence, and and our own trespasses, which have provoked the Lord against ●s, were a notable ballast to our spirits, in such a day of rejoicing, for so fignall a delyverance. The day wherein the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, was sure a joyful day to the people of God; yet the Lord, in the anniversary commemoration of it, would have them to eat the , which as it did c●memorat their deliverance, so also their bondage & affliction in Egypt. Hence the Jewish rituals tell us, that at the distribution of the paschal bread, they used these words, This is the bread of affliction, which our fathers suffered in Egypt. A sanctified remembrance of Gods afflicting Hand, is very useful, for tempering spirits, in a day of delyverance. Doctrine Third. A Third doctrine shall be this, It is but a transient view of affliction which the Lord gives to his own. The word of the text is very remarkable as to this, Th●● hast S●EWED me great & sore troubles David had been under very sharp troubles, if sense may be judge: but faith corrects sense. It's but a show, but a view of trouble, which I have had, says believing David I shall clear the point by a few reasons. Reason 1 As first, The sting is taken out of the afflictions of believers; hence they speak in scripture of their evils, rather as seeming evils, then real, II. Cor. 6. 9 10. 11. As dying, yet behold we live: as chastened, and not killed, as sorrowful, yet always rejoyeing: as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things. He puts, as one says, a tanquam, an as, upon all his & the people of God their afflictions, as if they were more in seeming, then in reality. Reason 2 Secondly, As the sting is taken away, so the Lord sweeteneth rods to believers, by his own gracious presence. He is with them in fire and water, Isai 43. 2. The refreshing influence of his gracious presence made some, call their prison, an Orchard of delights, and others to sing at the stake. Hence said one, Tua prasentia Domine, Laurentio ipsam craticulā●ulcem fecit. Thy gracious presence O Lord, made the burning gridiron sweet to Laurence, when he was roasted alive upon it. Reason 3 And thirdly, (not to add more reasons) the afflictions of Saints in time, are, as was said of julian's persecution. but a passing clond. What were all the hardships which David met with from Saul, after he was peaceably settled on the throne, but as the remembrance of a show upon a stage? When Absoloms' conspiracy was discussed, what was the remembrance thereof, but like a dream when it passed? Use. Is there not here unspeakable comfort to the people of God? It's but a transient view of afflictions they have here in time, when they are up in glory, clothed with robs of immortality, with palms in their hands, what will the remembrance of the afflictions of time be to them, but as a dream when it's gone? Now my earnest desire to the Lord is, that all the bitter trials, with which the Royal family have been hitherto exercised, may be swallowed up, with such a blessed and sanctified prosperity for the future, that all their former sufferings may be as a dream when its past, as a show upon a stage, when it's withdrawn. And this for the 1. branch of the text, Thou hast showed me great & sore troubles. The second branch of the text. I come to the second branch, wherein faith promises a glorious out-gate to David from all his troubles. Thou shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again, from the deepths of the earth. As if he had said, I am like a man dead and buried; I am laid in the explication of the second branch. deepths of the earth. In abyssis says tremble. In voraginibus ●erra, says Pagnin. Swallowed up in the g●●s of the earth. I am civilly dead and buried, laid by as a broken vessel in the thoughts of the people, whereof can be no more use. So spoke sense: O but says Faith, there shall be a resurrection. Thou O Lord wilt return and quicken me, yea Thou wilt bring me up from the depths of the earth. Though I be low, yet thou wilt exalt me. This was much; yet David's faith rests not here, it goes on, Thou shalt increase my greatness; multiplicabis magnitudinem meam says Montanus, thou shalt multiply my greatness, thou shalt make my state, grandour & dignity more eminent than ever, and far beyond my predecessors, and so indeed it was. And yet more, says he, Thou shalt comfort me on every side, circuibis, consolaberis me, so Montan. thou shalt compass me & comfort me, that is, thou shalt surround me with comfort: as my afflictions have abounded, so shall my comforts. Thus ye have a short explication of this branch, I only give two short doctrines from it that I may pass thorough the text. Doctrine first. Doct. first. It's a very dark clo●d, through which faith will not see an out-gate. It's deep trouble indeed, wherein faith will not see a vision of peace. David now was under great & sore trouble, yet behold what his faith says; Thou shalt quicken me again, and bring me up from the depths of the earth, thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side. Reason first. A First reason may be, Faith is the evidence of things not seen, H●b. 11. 1. when sense says, It will not be▪ when reason says, It cannot be, than faith says, It shall be; I see it, says faith, Though I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me, Micah, 7. 8. Yea it realizes things absent, Trem. reads these prophecies of faith in my text, in the present. Pagnin in the pret. imperfect. Vivificabas, faci●bas ascendere, multiplicabas, consolabaris. Faith assures the heart as much of promised mercies, as if they were already enjoyed. Reason second. Secondly, When faith acteth upon a promise, it contemneth all difficulties. I see, says faith, these and the other difficulties in the way, but faithful is he who hath promised; the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, & he will perform. Reason third. Thirdly, Faith saileth in a room sea. It improveth infinite Omnipotency, the almighty power of God. Rom. 4. 20. 21. Abraham staggered not at the promise, through unbelief being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able to perform. Hence it is said, All things are possible to him that believeth Mark 9 23. Use. Dear people study the cleanly exercise of this precious grace of faith; it will prove a brave supporter in a day of straight: when sense and reason are miserable comforters, and ready to say, there is no help for thee in God, now thou art fallen and shall never rise again: then faith will prophesy good things as in my text; Yet God will quicken me again, and bring me up from the depths of the ●arth. O happy they! who know by experience, what this jewel ●●●faith is. Surely I know nothing, which could have upheld, either our late gracious SOVEREIGN, or his MAJESTY who now is, under their incomparable sufferings, but this heavenly grace of faith. The just lives by faith, Hab. 2. 4. faith maketh the believing sufferer, more than Conqueror. Doctrine second, But I come to the second and main doctrine at which I drive It is not unusual with our Lord to raise these eminently, whom he hath laid once very low. How low was David brought under saul's persecution, when he was forced to flee among heathens; and once had no other way to save his life, but by feigning himself mad? How low was he brought by Absolem, when he is put to flee from jerusalem; when a dog like Shimei durst come and throw stones at him? yet after all this, the Lord did honour him exceedingly, and as my text speaketh, The Lord did increase his greatness and comfort him on every side. I give but another instance. How low was job brought? stripped of all his estate, & bereft of all his children in one day: moreover smitten with loathsome diseases in his person, the arrows of God, in the mean while, drinking up his spirit: yea, and under such temptations, that as he speaketh cap. 7. 15. he was ready to choice strangling & death rather than life, yet as you read, c. 42. 10. 12. The Lord ●urned ●ask the captivity of job, & his latter end was more prosperons ●hen the first; at first, he had 7000 sheep cap. 1. v. 3. at last, be had 14000 cap. 43. v. 12. at first, he had 3000 camels, cap. 1. v. 3. at list, he had 6000 cap. 42. v. 12. and so the spirit of God goes on cap. 42. doubling his estate in his latter days, beyond what it was before. For reasons take these few hints, The Lords does so, Reason first. First, to show his Almighty power that he can help at a dead lift; even when creatures are laid in the depths of the earth. Reason second. Secondly, to manifest his faithfulness, that he is a God who keepeth promise. Providence may seem to cross promises for a season; yet the Lord is ever mindful of his promise, and therefore in end will suffer nothing to fall to the ground of all the good word which he hath spoken. Reason third. Thirdly, To engage those whom he thus signally exalteth, to tune up a song of praise to him, Psalm 40, 2. The Lord brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my go. Now what was the result of his deliverance, is subjoined v. 3. He put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Reason 4 And Fourthly, to engage them to be zealous for him and his interests. Sure it becomes them, ●●● whom the Lord hath done great things, to say, Quid retribuam Demino? What shall I render to the Lord, Psalm 116. 12. Use. The point might afford many uses, specially for the consola●tion and strengthening of the hands of afflicted ones; but these I forbear to day. Only this one; We have to remember to day, to the Lords praise, as signal a providence in exalting Our SOVEREIGN Lord the KING'S MAJESTY, to the throne of his ROYAL FATHER of eternal memory, as either David, or any Prince mentioned in sacred or profane history, did ever meet with. If ye consider first the low and lamentable condition, to which his Sacred MAJESTY was brought, these divers years ●bygone. Secondly, The manifold attempts with great and potent Armies for his deliverance, all which were blasted. Thirdly, The unexpectednes of this revolution: surely, When the Lord turned our captivity we were as those who dreamt, Psalm 126. 1. Fourthly, the point of time, when the Lord appeared, namely, when our confusions were like to be greater, & our yoke heavier than ever. So that at evening time (as Z●ch. speaketh c. 14. 7.) when all were fearing midnight darkness, The Lord hath made light to arise. And Fifthly, which is no less admirable than any of the former, that so great a change, should be carried on without blood. There have been many strange changes in Britain within these twenty years, but surely none like to this, wherein the gracious hand of divine providence hath so signally appeared. Verily we may sing and say with our Royal Psalmist, Psal. 118. 22. 23. 24. The stone which the bvilders refused, is become the head of the corner. This is the Lords doing, it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will be glad and rejoice in it. Now that I may close this doctrine, and withal the second Three hopeful desires. branch of the text, there are three things which from my heart I both wish and hope from the Lord, to his MAJESTY: & they ought to be all our desires and hope, in his behalf. The first is, that the promise of my text may be fulfilled in him, viz. That the Lord would increase his greatness and comfort him on every side; that he may be the most glorious, renowned & truly blessed KING, that ever Britain enjoyed. I wish, that patriarchal Blessing to him which Jacoh prophetically pronounced upon joseph Gen. 49. 25. 26. The Blessings of heaven above, The Blessings of the depth that lies under, The Blessings of the breasts and of the womb, Blessings, beyond all the blessings of his progenitors, unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills, be upon the head of our joseph, upon the Sacred head of our Gracious SOVEREIGN, whom the Lord hath separated to rule ever TERTUL. Apolog c. 30. Denique sine monitore, quia de pectore oramus, (Note here, that from this phrase, sine Monitore quia de pectore, some learned men have observed, that CHRISTIAN'S in Tertullia's time, did not wholly tie themselves, to stinted liturgical forms in prayer,) precantes su●us semper pro omnibus Imperatoribus, vitam illis prolixam, Imperium securum, domum tutam, exercitus fortes, Senatum fidelem, populum probum, orbem quietum, quecunque hominis et CAESARIS vota sunt. his people in these Nations. Blessed be he in his Royal Person, In his Counsels and Government, in his Allies abroad, in his Subjects of all ranks at home, in his Parliaments, Armies, Navies, Nobility, Gentry, Borroughs, Ministers of the Gospel etc. Let him be blest Bonis Throni et Scabelli, Poliet Soli: both with Blessings of the throne and of the footstool, with an eminent measure, both of Saving graces, and Kingly graces with length of days, a flourishing Crown, with Loyal subjects, with a thriving Gospel & Church, with pure & spiritual ordinances throughout his Dominions. Thus shall the promise of the text be accomplished, His greatness shall be increased, & he comforted on every side. My second wish, (which also I hope) is, that with David in my Text, He may look on the Lord, as the God of all his mercies, and first Fountain of them. DAVID doth not attribute these great things, which here he expects, either to Joabs' gallantry or Hushai's policy; though both were greatly instrumental in this deliverance of David, & in overturning this conspiracy of Absolom; But he looks above all unto God, as the first Spring, the first wheel, the first Mover: THOU O Lord (said he) shalt quicken me again, THOU shalt raise me up, THOU shalt inerease my greatness THOU shalt comfort me on every side. GOD was all in all to him. IT is far from my purpose, to undervalue the achievements of Instruments, or to derogate in the least, from the high respect, that is due to them. Succeeding Generations will bless that truly Noble, Valorous and Loyal GENERAL MONCK: Whom God hath chief honoured, as an Instrument in the work; Neither should Hushas' be forgotten, who by counsel have been assisting; I hope these who have been most instrumental, have learned Christ better, then to offend, that I say, The Lord should be looked to, as the first Author of all. Nay, themselves must, & will acknowledge, all their instrumentality to be of Him. O so signally as the Lord's hand hath appeared, therefore let Him above all be looked to: and this will help, through his blessing, to the sanctified of these late mercies. But my third desire, (which I likewise wait and hope for) is That OUR SOVEREIGN like another DAVID, may be Zealous for God, and the precious interests of the Gospel. O how zealous was David for the Lord, psal. 69. 9 The zeal of thy House, said he, hath eaten me up. O what zeal witnessed he in dancing before the Ark, when he brought it up to mount Zion,? II. Sam. 6. 14. 15. and II. Sam. 7. What, said he, shall I dwell in Cedar, and the Ark of God abide in Curtains? And thereupon resolveth to build a Temple to the Lord. Rich preparations made he for the Work, as may be seen, I. Chron. chapters 28. 29. Yea, & would also have accomplished it, if the Lord had not stopped him, and told him by the mouth of Nathan, That he would have the Hieron. in Titum. c. 1. Episcopinoverint, se consuetudine magis, quam dispositionis dominica veritate, Presbiteris esse majores. Temple built by a Solomon. The Lord was so well pleased with David's purpose, That II. Sam. 7. 11. and 16. he promises to build David an house, and to establish his Throne for ever. The Lord honours those who honour him, I. Sam. 2. 30. The surest way Princes can take for establishment of their Throns', is to be zealous for, and tender of the Interests of JESUS CHRIST, his Truth, his Ordinances, his Servants and People. We have therefore to day, earnestly to pray, That OUR GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN may be a zealous Defender of the Protestant CAUSE, and Ordinances of Christ in their purity, That Prelacy, superstition, & Ordinances which at not of Divine institution, may not creep in into the Worship of GOD within our Church. Whittak. ad ratione●● 10. Campiani. Si preces pro mortuis damnare & Episcopo presbiterum aequare, sit hareticum, nihil Catholicum esse potest. Cum AERIO Hieronymꝰ de presbiteris omnino senfit. illos cuim jure divine Episcopis aquales esse statuit. Yet am I not of the judgement, That Princes rights to their Crowns, depends upon their erthodoxie in judgement; I cordially subscrive to the pure Primitive Loyalitie of ancient Christians, See Confess. of Faith, c. 23, art. 4. who retained their allegiance, under Heathen & Arrian Emperors; under Infidel & Heretic Princes, aswell as under these who were sound & orthodox in their judgements: for as AUGUST. said, Qui regnare dedit CONSTANTINO Christians, ipse dedit Apostatae JULIANO. He who gave the Imperial Crown to CONSTANTINE a Christian, gave it also to JULIAN the Apostate: But blessed be the Lord, we have not an Heathen Prince: we have not an Arrian Prince: we have not a Popish Prince: but a PRINCE, Who hath constantly adhered to the Protestant Religion, in the furnace of affliction, notwithstanding Defensor almae qui fidei clues, Vnius idem tu fidei, Dei Vnius, uniusque Christi Semper er●●, es, eri● professor. O perge (pergens tu perages) manu Forti, & secundis usque laboribus Rem Christianam promovere, Romuleo gravis Antichristo. Decachordon concinens liberationem Britannicam Autore. T. G. he was compassed with as many temptations, as ever any Prince was assaulted with. We have a PRINCE Who by his Royal Authority, hath confirmed to us the Protestant Religion in its purity: without the mixture of these humane inventions. This is a Mercy for which we are to magnify the Lord to day, that we have such a PRINCE under whom we may enjoy the Ordinances of Christ in their Purity: And though it were otherwise, (which God forbidden) yet Loyalty is still our duty as subjects; But let us be earnest with the Lord by prayer; That our GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN may be kept in the way of truth, that he may be a zealous Defender thereof and of the Ordinances of JESUS CHRIST in their purity, according to their first Institution; This will make Him an Eminent BLESSING to his people: and his people truly blest in him, and will give strong ground of confidence of fulfilling the Promise in my Text; That God will increase his greatness, and comfort him on every side. I come to the third and last branch of the Text, in vers. 22. Wherein David solemnly engages to be forthcoming to the The third branch of the Text. Lords praise. I also will praise thee, etc. Ye have heard David expressing his sense of his afflictions; ye heard how his Faith & hope did prophesy of an Out-gate; Now ye have David's heart; inflamed with love to God, upon the confidence of this hoped for deliverance, engaging to tune up a Song of praise, yea antidating a song of . The words are exceeding sweet, but time will not permit me to insist on them. I intent only after I have run thorough them, by a few explicatory hints, to propose one doctrine from them. There are five observable words in the vers. Which we would Five observable words in it. notice▪ THE FIRST, I will also praise thee, as if he had said, I have prayed and poured out my soul, by supplication before thee; And Faith hath brought me in a gracious return of Prayer: That there shall be a comfortable Out-gat▪ therefore I ALSO will praise thee. Prayer is a very fruitfufull duty. It's the womb, if I may so speak, wherein the Praises of God are conceived. Would ye have your Praises accepted to day? let them not be disjoined from Prayer. It's sweet when these two, Prayer and Praise, go together. I ALSO will praise thee▪ The second word is, Even thy truth, that is, Thy true and faithful Promise. O so precious as Promises are to them who improve them, and especially to those, who by a believing improvement, find them made good! Such will magnify promises indeed, even thy truth. But than thirdly, O my GOD, It's sweet, when faith in a dark hour, can plead its interest in God. David was under great and sore trouble, yet Faith pleads its interest. He is my God. I will not say, but faith in an hour of temptation may be sore shaken. Saves not David himself, Psal. 31. 22. I said in my haste, I am cut off▪ and I. Sam. 27. 1. I shall now perish one day by the hand of SAUL. But these were only swooning fits of faith: his faith recovered strength again, The fourth word is, I will praise thee with the Psaltery, I will sing praise to thee with the harp. IT was the custom of old in the Jewish Church, to make use of these and other Musical Instruments in the Worship of God, as appears almost everywhere in this book of the Psalms, Of the form of these Instruments, see joseph. lib. 7. Antiq. IUD. cap. 10. POLYD. VERGIL de inventoribus rerum, lib. 1. cap. 15. HOSPIN. de Temlis, lib. 2. cap. 23. English annot. on I. Chron. 13. 8. Also the epist, to Dardanus, de Musicis instrumentis, among Hieroms works. and from I. Chron. 13. 8. Though Procopius Gazaeus cited by HOSPINIAN de templis, lib. 2. cap. 23. spares not to say, Cultum hunc non a Deo traditum, sed a Davide excogitatum fuisse. That this Worship was an humane invention of david's, not a Divine Institution. Too bold an affertion, and very reflexive upon so holy a Prophet as w●a our Royal Psalmist. QUEST. Whether organical Music may be used in the Gospel-Church? But if any ask, whether it be lawful to make use of organical Music in Justin Mar. quest 107. after he had moved this question; cur cantu etiamnum utatur Ecclesiae Christiana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. he answers, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Hoc est, Interpret JOANNE LANGIO, simpliciter canere insipientibus non convenit; sed instrumentis inanimatis et crotalis cum saltatione canere; quo circa in Ecclesiis non us●●● carminum, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, per ejus generis instrumenta & alia insipientibus congruentia receptu● est. Sed simplex Cantio in iis manet▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. the Worship of God now under the Gospel? IT's long ago answered by an Ancient Author in these questions ad Orthodoxos, which are attributed to justin Martyr. QUAEST 107. where he says, That the Ancient Christian Church abandoned that Pedagogical custom: as rather beseeming Children and the infant-state of the Church: then the Church under the Gospel, & retained only vocal singing. Which says HOSPINIAN. ibid., was doubtless done by these Worthies, according to the pattern of the Apostolic Church. ¶ Chrysost, on Psal. 150. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. etc. CHRYSOST, on psal. 150. says, That this Instrumental Music was permitted to the jews, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because of their weakness. And makes only this Moral thereof for us under the Gospel: As (said he,) The jews praised God with all Instruments of Music: so Christians are commanded to praise with all the members of their bodies, with eyes, ears tongue, hands etc. The like Moral application is made thereof by his disciple Isidor. Peleus. lib. 1. Epist. 457. and lib. 2. Epist. 176. He puts the Jewish instrumental music by harp and psaltery in the same rank with their sacrifices; which all acknowledge to have been typical. His words Isidor. Peleus. lib. 2. Epistl. 176. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. as tendered by BILLIUS in latin, are those; Quum (says he) Divinun Numen victimas & cruores ob puerilitatem in qua tum homines versabantar tolerarit; Quid miraris quod eam quoque qua per Cytharam & Psalterium celebratur musicam tolerarit? The meaning is, the Lord permitted to the Jews their bloody sacrifices because of the infancy of the Church-state in those days; Why shouldest thou wonder that he permitted to them also the use of Instrumental Music by harp and psaltery? August. is very frequent in drawing that Jewish custom to anagogical allusions, in his Enarrations on the Psalms; particularly on Psalm 57 and 68 which to him are 56. and 67. Yea the Papists great Annalist Caesar Barronius ad annum Christi, 60. pag. 666. a. 37. is constrained to acknowledge, partly because of that forecited testimony of Justin Martyr, partly because of another, which he citys out of Augustine, on Psal. 32. to us psal. 33. That Organical Music had no place in the Church either in Justin Martyr or Augustin's days. I like well Barronius own phrase, ab ecclesie modulatione fuisse proscriptam; That this Instrumental Music was banished out of the Church religious Melody. The testimony of Augustine cited by Barronius is this. Nun id egit instituti● in nomine Christi vigiliarum istarum, ut ex isto loco cytharae pellerentur? But Augustine hath as express a testimony a little after, which I thought good to add; Nemo (says he) se convertat ad ergana theatrica, quod ei jubetur in se habet, sicut alibi dicitur. In me Deus vota tua, quae reddam, laudationes tibi. That is, Let no man betake himself to theatrical organs, thou hast within thyself, O man, what God requires of thee, according to that which is elsewhere said, Thy v●wes are upon me O God, I will re●der praises ●nt● thee, psal. 56. 12. But what need I more? seeing Bellarm. lib. 1. de honis operibus, cap. 17. Confesses; That Organical Music got first entry into the Christian Church only in the days of Pope Vitalian, ann. Christi, 660. according to Platina: or, says he, if we will credit Almoynus, lib. 4. de gestis Francorum, not until the days of Lodovicus Pius 820 years after our Lord's Incarnation. Nota secundo (says Cajetan in 2. 2. q 91. in art. 1. et 2.) quod tempore D. Thoma eccle ●●a non utebatur organis. And, which is yet more, Aquinas in secunda se●undae quast. 91. art. 2. spareth not to say; That the Christian Church mak●t● not use of Psalters, harps or such like instruments in praising the Lord, lest she should seem to Judaize. And Cajetan commenting on that place of Thomas observes, That the Church did not use Organical Music in the days of Aquinas. That doctrine of Aquinas, and Cajetan's observe thereupon nettles exceedingly the later and more superstitious schoolmen. But the more sober sort of papists themselves: as Erasmus, Caj●tan, Lindanus and others, have lamented the profanation of the worship of God, by their Organical & Theatrical Music, as serving more to tickle vidi ego (sait es Hosp. U. S.) aliquoties magna cum admiratione, plurim●s e ●emplis exeuntes, quamprimun dulcis Organ●rum sonus cessasset: tantam devotionem in animis homini●●̄ concitarat. the senses with carnal delight, then to edify the soul: In so much that Suarez. the Jesuit, a violent defender of this superstition in his second tom. de virtute et s●atu religionis lib. 4. cap. 8. confesseth, That it is not used in the Pope's Chapel, Quia non tam gravis judicatur, because it savours not of such gravity. If it savour not gravity, why use they it in their Cathedral Churches? why is it at all permitted in the Worship of God, under the Gospel? I can commend no better pattern, to Christians under the Gospel, than the example of Christ and his Apostles, I find them singing Hymns and Psalms Math. 26. 30. Acts 16. 25. and recommending vocal praises to Christians. That place is remarkable and apposite to the work of the day, Eph. 5. 18. 19 Be not drunk with wife wherein there is excess (a head distempered with wine is more fit to sacrifice to Bacchus, then to praise the most High God) But be filled with the Spirit. (sure they have need of rich supplies and influences of the Spirit, who would be about this heavenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Interpreters do in expounding these three words. But generally they agree, that by them the Apostle understandeth all manner of spiritual songs, whether Eucharistick, Didascalique, Prophetic, Threnetique, etc. see Gomar & Bodius on the place. and Angelical duty of praise) Then he addeth, Speaking to yourselves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. A parallel exhortation to this, Col. 3. 16. Neither is that unlike, Jam. 5. 13. Is any man afflicted among you, let him pray. Is any man merry let him sing songs. But no where doth Christ or his Apostles, in the Gospel, commend Organical Music. Ancient Christians, abounded in vocal praises, as witnesseth Tertull. Apologet. cap. 2. & 39 Hierom. in his epist. 4. to Rusticus, In epist. 17. to Hierom. in Epist. 17. under the names of Paula and Eustochium to Marcelia; In Christi villula tota rusticitas, et extra Psalmos silentium est, quocunque te verteris arator stivam teneus Allelujah decant●●. Suda●s messor psalmis so avocat. et curva attendens vitem faloe vinitor, aliquid Davidicum canit. Heo sunt in hac Provincia carmina: he ut vulgo dicitur amatori● cantiones: hic pastorum sibilus. Much singing here, but no word of Organ, Harp or Psaltery. Marcelia. August. in his Confessions, lib. 9 cap. 6. et 7. lib. 10. cap. 33. When Plinse the Second, was giving an account to the Emperor Trajan of the exercises of Christians, he tells, they had Antelucanos coetus, ad canendum Christo et Dee: They did meet betimes in the morning, preventing the rising of the Sun, to sing praises to the Lord and to his Christ. But no where find we them making use of Organical Music in the Church and Worship of God. See Hospinian. U. S. Para ' in I. Cor. 14. 7. Gualier I. cor. 14. 7. 8. From all this, it appears, That our soundest Divines have traced the footsteps of Christ, his Apostles and of pure Antiquity, in disallowing Organical Music in the public Worship of God, as appertaining to the old levitical pedagogy. But to close the point, The best Instrument wherewith any 8. Zepper de polit. Eccles. lib. 1. cap. 13. Mollerus praefat. ad comment .. in psalmos. Musculꝰ epist. dedicat. ante comment. in psalmos. Rivet. in Exod. c. 15. v. 21. Bodi●● in Eph cap. 5. vers. 18. 19 &. c. 6. 18. Douglasius tract. de Psalmodia, part. 1. cap. 10. Beside many more both British & foreign Divines. can praise the Lord, is a believing and spiritually enlarged heart, Making Melody in your heart, Eph. 5. 18. Singing, with grace in your hearts to the Lord, Col. 3. 16. * Non vox sed votum▪ non chordula musica sedcor: Non clamans sed amans, cantat in aure Dei. Hade this been wanting; all the Music which David made with Harp and psaltery, had not found acceptance. I remember, Augustine in his Confessions, makes mention of very lively impressions, which he found on his spirit, in this precious Ordinance of praising, in the Church. Quantum flevi (says he lib. 9 Confess. cap. 6▪) in hymnis et cant●cis tuis. suauè sonantis Ecclesiae tuae vocibus, commotus acr●ter? voces illae, influebant auribus meis, et eliquabatur veritas tua in cor meum, et ex ea astuabat affectus * AUGUST. lib. 10. Confess. cap. 33. Quum mihi accidit ut me amplius cantꝰ quam res quae canitur moveat, poenaliter me pe●●are confiteor. pietatis, currebant lachrymae; et bene mihi erat cum iis. Which I English thus, how did I weep at the hymns and songs, at the sweet melodious voices of thy Church? These voices, did influence my ears; and thy truth was melted and dissolved into my heart: thereupon holy affections did boil within me, & tears did run down, O how well was it with me then? The experience of this melting of heart, which he had found in this divine Ordinance at his first Conversion, kept him afterwards upon his feet, when he was under a temptation, to have altogether dissallowed vocal praises; hence▪ lib. 10. Confess. cap. 33. Cum (says he) reminiscor lachrimas meas, quas fudi ad cantus Ecclesiae tu● in primerdus recuperationis meae, magnam instituts hujus utilitatem agnosco. That is, When I call to mind the tears which I shed at the Praises of thy Church, about the time of my first recovery to the faith, I am made to acknowledge the exceeding advantage of this Ordinance. May not this reprove our spiritless, liflesse and formal way in setting about this heavenly duty of praising? Ah have we not oftentimes vocem in Choro & mentem in foro? Our voice in the duty, when our hearts are abroad, after a thousand vanities. But I must restrain myself; I am afraid I have been to large on this fourth word, I will praise thee with the psaltery, unte thee will I sing with the harp. I come therefore to the fifth and last word, namely the Compellation, which the Psalmist giveth to God: O Thou HOLY ONE of Israel, etc. Where, what ever had been his afflictions either by saul before his settlment in the kingdom, or afterwards by Abselom, yet he vindicats the Lord and his holiness; O Thou HOLY ONE of Israel, As if he had said, What ever have been my sufferings & how wickedly soever men have carried, yet Thou O Lord art HOLY in all thy ways, and righteous in all thy judgements. IT's the Lords peculiar Title, to be called either absolutely The HOLY ONE, or with addition, as in my text, Israel's HOLY ONE. He is holy 1. essentially; Holiness is but a supervenient quality in Men and Angels, but holiness is the Essence of God, every divine attribute is his Essence. He is 2. holy causally, All holiness in the creature springs from him as the Fountain. He is 3. holy exemplarlie, He is the Pattern and Rule of all true holiness, Be ye holy, as I am holy I. Pet. 1. 16. He is 4. holy objectively, He ought to be served in holiness. He is 5. holy emimentlie, Exod. 15. 11. He is glorious in holiness. He is so holy, that he cannot look on sin, except with an vindictive eye, Hab. 1. 13. Sin never got a good look from God, nor ever shall: fitly therefore is he called, The HOLY ONE, & Israel's HOLY ONE, because he sanctified all Israel, even the whole Nation federally, to be a Church to himself: therefore, Exod. 19 6. they are called an Holy Nation, and among them he had many Jewels, Choice Ones, internally, inherently, and savingly sanctified; Among whom, David was an eminent one: well therefore was he styled by David, The HOLY ONE of Israel. Doct. from 3. branch. I have run through the words of this verse in an explicatory way, Time will not permit me to insist on the particulars, take therefore this general doctrine from the whole. It is not only lawful, but also duty, whou the Lord bestows signal mercies, on a person, or nation, to abound in praises to him. T he Holy ONE of Israel, should inhabit Israel's praises. If David, upon the foresight of a hoped for Deliverance, engaged so solemnly to bless the Name of the Lord, how much more is it duty to praise him, when the Deliverance is already wrought. We have many precedents of the people of God in this: of Moses and Miriam, Exod. 15. of Praising the duty of the day. Deborah and Barak, judg. 5. of Anna I. Sam. 2. and many others. Surely these Lands have as much matter to bless the Lord, as ever a people; if we had hearts to be about the duty aright, After that Athaliah, 2. King. 11. had cut off the Royal seed, and usurped the Crown of Judah, for the space of seven years, one only young child, upon the breasts of the Nurse, having thorough the mercy of God, escaped the fury of that Bloody Usurper: When at length, by the means of Jehojada the High Priest, Joas is Crowned, and the usurpng Queen, received the deserved stroke of justice, it's said, v. 14. The whole Land rejoiced and Blew with Trumpets. How much more have these Land's cause to rejoice in the Lord? who after such a barbarous and unparallelled Regicide, after such a labyrinth and maze of confusions, which within these few days, to humane reason appeared inextricable: who, I say, after all this, is settling the government of the Nations, upon the ancient foundations: and hath reduced our Native and Gracious SOVEREIGN to sit upon the Throne of his ANCESTORS IT is promised as a great mercy, Jer. 30. 21. Their Nobles shall be of themselves, & their Governors shall proceed from the midst of them. IT's a mercy, to have a native Prince, to rule over a people, and not strangers. They have not natural affliction, who do not with it and rejoice in it. Were not the fundamentals of Christianity strucken at, in time of these late Confusions; and a standing Ministry together with Gospel Ordinances like to be overturned? And is it not a mercy, so to have the Civil Government settled, as all interests, both sacred and civil, may be secured? Who then can deny, but there is matter of rejoicing in the Lord? if we had hearts, to do it Christianly. But we have cause to be jealous of our own hearts, lest the Lord be provoked, by our carnal deportment on such a day. It's my earnest exhortation to you, in the name of the LORD, (I have also warrant, to speak it, in Our SOVEREIGN'S name, from his MAJESTY'S Late Declaration,) that ye neither offend GOD, nor dishonour your SOVEREIGN, by debauching yourselves to day. Dear People, be afraid to draw on wrath to day, on the Lands, or on your SOVEREIGN, there is such a near relation betwixt Prince and People: that the one smarts often for the others sin. As the Apostle says Eph. 4. 26. Be angry, but sin not: So I today. Rejoice, but sin not. Let forth your hearts, as much in rejoicing as you can, providing, ye guard against sin: As there is no small difficulty, so to be angry, as not to go beyond bounds; so I believe, it hath its own difficulty, to get the heart rightly ordered in such days of rejoicing; that we be not carn●ll, but holy & spiritual, in the performance of the duty. Wherefore, That your hearts may be the better ballasted in Praising & Rejoicing, I desire you to join with it, that other necessary duty of Praying. Reason's why earnest pray ere should be joined with our praises. There be many Considerations to move us, to be much in holding up the condition of our Gracious SOVEREIGN before the Lord by prayer. This is 1. A duty laid upon all subjects by the Apostle I Tim. 2. 1. 2. I exhort, that Supplications, Prayers Intercessions and Giving of Thanks; be made for all men, and particularly, for Kings & for all that are in authority. Ancient Christians were much in this duty, even under Heathen Princes, as witnesseth Tertull. Apol cap. 39 Oramus pro Imperatoribus, pro Ministris corum & potestatibus, pro statu saeculi, pro rerum quiet●, pro mora finis. On this lait clause, pro mora finis: Tertull. himself commenteth, cap 32. (as is well observed by Pameliu●) Dum sayeth TERTULL. clausulam saeculs precam●r differri, Romanae diuturnitati favemus. Were they so eatnest, for the continuance of the Roman Empire, how much more ought we to plead with God for the perpetuity of the British Empire in his MAJESTY'S Royal line. 2. A spirit of Government, is a special blessing from God; Therefore we ought to be much in praying for it. SOLOMON was a very hopfull Prince, to whom many Promises w●re entailed; Yet O so earnest as DAVID is in prayer, for a spirit of Government to him, Psal 72. 1. Give the King thy judgements O God, and thy righteousness to the King's son. 3. No men are compassed with greater temptations, than Princes and Great Ones▪ And therefore, They have the more need of Remembrancers before the Throne of God. 4. Who can be such Instruments of public good, as zealous & godly Princes? And therefore we ought to be much in prayer for them. And the rather 5. Seeing the King's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, He turneth it whethersoever he will, prov. 21. 1. A believing Supplicant can have more influence on the heart of a Prince, though many hundreth miles from Cour●, than Courtiers, who are daily admitted to his Presence. When that wicked Haman was suggesting bad counsel to that great King Asuerus, against the people of God; Mordeeai's prayers defeated all Haman's contriuments: they influenced Ahasuerus more than Haman's Court-sollicitations. Believing supplicants have power with God, Isai. 45. 11. Ask of me of things concerning my sons, & concerning the works of my hands, command ye me, Blessed be God, he who hears Prayer, hath hearts of Princes, in his hand. 6. O what an unvaluable mercy is it, when Prince and People, concur harmoniously, each in there own sphere, to maintain and promove the public interests of jesus Christ in the Nations? O how sweet is it, when a Prince rules not only over the bodies, but also in the hearts of subjects? Divines observe Rob. Abbot lib. de suprema potestate Regia Praelect. 3. §. 2. Animae vocabulo requirere videtur Apos●olus, ut non corporie tantuns obsequium, sed animae queque voluntatem et affectum Principibus accommodemus. upon that word, Rom. 13. 1. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers: that subjects obedience to their Prince, should be affectionate and cordial, from the Heart and Soul. Ought we not then be much at the Throne of grace; That the Lord would bless Britain & Ireland with these rich mercies, & that thoughts of disloyalty may be had in everlasting abhorrency by all his Majesty's subjects. Lastlie, Hath not the Lord been pleading a very bitter and long Controversy, with these Lands, & that in the view of the Nations round about? have we not then cause, to plead with MOSES, Psal. 90. 〈◊〉 15. 16. 17. That the LORD, would make us glad according to the days wherein he hath afflicted us, and the years, wherein we have seen evil. That the Lord, would make his WORK, appear unto his Servants: & his GLORY, unto their children, that the BEAUTY, OF THE LORD OUR GOD, may be upon us. & that as Isaiah Prophecieth, cap. 60. 18. Violence may no more be heard in our Land, nor wasting or destruction within our borders, but our walls may be called SALVATION, & our gates PRAISE. For these things the Lord will be enquired by us, to do them for us. Ezekiel, 36. 37. O that a spirit of Prayer & Praise were poured out on hearts to day▪ Only let me again obtest you in the Name of the Lord Jesus, to beware of ranting, debauching and of what ever may indispose you to these two great duties of the day, Prayer & Praise. I close all with that word of Benajah, concerning King SOLOMON, A Gratulatory Conclusion. I. King. 1. 36. 37. After that Ado●ijah had taken the Throne by usurpation. Bathsheba and Nathan came unto David, who lay a dying, regrating the matter; Whereupon David commanded Nathan & Zadok to anoint King SOLOMON: for said he, Solomon shall sit on my throne: him have I appointed to be Ruler over Israel and judah. Then said Benajah the son of jehojada, Amen. The Lord God of My Lord the King say s● too. As the Lord hath been with my Lord the King, so be he with SOLOMON; & make his Throne greater than the Throne of my Lord King David. So say I. As the Lord was with King David, so be he with our Gracious SOVEREIGN. The Lord make the Throne of KING CHARLES THE SECOND, greater than the Throne of either David or Solomon: greater then ever was the Throne of King CHARLES the I. or King JAMES the VI then ever was the Throne of any Scotish, English, or British king. Let him be CAROLO MAGNO major, greater them CHARLES the great. Now to Him who is able to do abundantly above all that we can think, To the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only Wise GOD, be honour and glory for ever and ever, Amen. Grata DEO ac REGI, nullique libentius unquam Responsura sono, Britonum Gens accinat Amen. Et Reboaturis geminetur vocibus AMEN. T. G. V S.