David's Devotions UPON HIS DELIVERANCES: Set forth in a SERMON AT All-Saints in Derby, June 28, 1660.  
BEING The Day of public Thanksgiving FOR HIS MAJESTY'S Happy Restauration, By JOSEPH SWETNAM PREACHER There.  
LONDON, Printed for H. M. and are to be sold at his shop, at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Churchyard, near the little North door. 1660.   

A SERMON PREACHED At All-Saints in Derby, June 28. 1660.  
WHen my thoughts were summoned to make provision for this day, 2 Sam. 19.14, 15. came to mind. And he bowed the hearts of all the men of Judah as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the King, Return thou, and all thy servants: so he King returned and came to Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the King, to conduct the King over Jordan. But seeing since the happy arrival of our gracious sovereign, so many additaments to our praises have flowed in upon us, I judged that text too strait, unless I should alogically ramble, and so displease myself and you. I then flitted in my fancy, to verses 41.42, 43. And behold all the men of Israel came to the King, and said to the King, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the King and his household, and all David's men with him over Jordan? and all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel; because the King is near of kin to us, wherefore then be ye angry for this matter, have we eaten at all of the King's cost? or hath he given us any gift? and the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, We have also more right in David than you, why did you despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our King? and the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.  
This text after a short survey I passed by, lest any rancour might revive, old sores being too apt to bleed afresh, withal considering those two first jarring interests, laid by their animosities to bring our King back, but above all our dread sovereign in his gracious declaration and proclamations, which breathe out nothing but sweetest cementings, having conjured all interests, to preserve peace and unity, and since those two sticks, like them Ezekiel 37.16. are become one, and own one King, vers. 24. I shall pray that Ephraim may not envy Judah, nor Judah vex Ephraim, and if old profaneness and its abettors, like that beast, Reve. 13.3, 12. have not their deadly wound healed, I hope we shall not hear of war any more.  
My thoughts now began to hover, disputing about texts fit for the occasion, or whether I should, with the ancient fathers, make the occasion my text, but seriously pondering his Majesty's gracious expressions in the proclamation, That due thanks, and praise be offered up to Almighty God, by us, and our people, with one heart, & that humble supplications be poured out before him for his continual assistance and improvement of this and all his mercies, I then had by the conduct of a Divine finger pointed out to me, Psalm 34.3. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.  
1 The title tells you the author, and occasion of this Psalm; the author David, a King by unction, heir apparent to the Crown, though not by descent, yet by divine designation, and saul's voluntary offer upon Goliahs' fall.  
Our dread Sovereign, a King by birth, and by confuting transcendently signal providences, was by the envious saul's of those times, forced to secure himself in foreign parts, when he was but heir apparent.  
2. This psalmists occasion was his straits, fleeing to the Philistines, and his exile thence by Abemilech, a common name to all their Kings, its signification excellent, the King father, but in order to David an Antiphrasis, expelling him that fled for shelter.  
Our dread Sovereign fleeing to a supposed father, the French King, from the fury of a Jesuited faction, imbruing cruel hands in his Father's Royal blood, against all Oaths, Protestations, and Covenants, to the irreparable scandal of the real, not nominal Protestant religion, and many thousand souls who had never any such destructive thoughts to his Majesty's person, or posterity, I say our gracious King flying into France, was upon the matter exiled thence; driven from one nation to another people, yet God suffered none to do him harm, preserving our David where ever he went, and for such a time as this; Now blessed be God who hath put such a thing as this into the heart of the King, to walk in David's steps, who being delivered out of the hands of all his enemies, doth, not in person only, but by his proclamation also, enjoin all to bless God for England's redemption. I hope no pious spirit will quarrel with my parallel or prolix Preface, since I have been all this while within the call of my text, and not dis-servised the duty of the day.  
The two first verses speak David's resolution, in his person to praise God at all times, and the sequel of his praises, the humble shall hear and be glad, upon which my text is attendant.  O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. 
This psalm being one of those the first letter of every verse following the order in the hebrew Alphabet, imports the writer to be in an extraordinary rapture.  
To balk all curiosity, consider this, plain but proper doctrine.  Prince and people, being joint sharers in mercy, should be joint magnifiers of God for a mercy. 
The word, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendered magnify, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exalt, will best manifest what the magnifying of God's name is.  
The first signifieth to multiply, excelling, honour, and so to magnify God, properly, is above creatures reach; man declares what God is, which is his highest pitch attainable unto; for the phrase to magnify and justify, rather declare or manifest, than make, hence the word, Nehem. 8.4. is translated a Pulpit, showing that after signal mercies, they should be so employed, showing it forth that God is good.  
The latter hebrew word rendered exalt, signifies vocal praise, when David resolves to bless God with the best member that he hath, which he calls his glory. The word further, as some Critics say, signifies to separate from a profane to a sacred use; Christian's joys must be spiritual, not in May games, and Morris dances, the reviving of that obsolete Roman whore, Flora, her festivals, the promoters of which now speak out, that profaneness and debauchery they prefer before their King, and their Venerean, Bacchanalian joy, will so provoke an holy healing God, that if his mercy were not above all, our praises might be impeaded or polluted; but I hope those Idolatrous, popish, profane practices with their abettors and promoters will fall, as Satan did before the Apostles, like lightning; however, let no humble heart be dumb in praises this day, since a returning sun gives at the first, life to weeds as well as to flowers: I doubt not but care will in due time be taken to crop at least, if not pluck up these tares, I mean not their persons, but their impieties.  
To prove my doctrine, consult Isaiah 12.4. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his Name, declare his do among the people, make mention that his name is exalted, Psalm 66.2. Sing forth the honour of his name, make his Praise glorious, Psalm 68.4. Sing unto God, sing praise to his name, extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoice before him.  
Our David is precentor in this spiritual choir, and let none with Michal jeer, or with the victors after Absoloms' rout slink away ashamed.  
God is magnified  
1 When we utter the memory of his great goodness. Psalm 145.7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy Great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness. It's a good day, as the four lepers said when the siege was raised from Samariah, and if we hold our peace, evil will befall us.  
2 God is exalted when his actings are set forth to the life. Psalm 66.2. Sing forth the honour of his Name, make his Praise glorious. The less shadowed the more magnificent. God is never more magnified than when his work is owned, as being only his: with his holy arm he hath got himself the victory.  
3 When we are speedy in our praises, not deferring them till a mercy grow stolen, or suffer an eclipse, Moses and Miriam, Deborah and Barach, took no day, but sang sweet songs whilst the deliverance was fresh.  
4 God is then magnified indeed when our praises are spiritual, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, Collos. 3.16. when we constantly boast of God, as ver. 1. not like those Israelites that sang his praise, and soon forgot him, turning his glory into the similitude of a Calf, whence Chrysost. compares them to grasshoppers, Subito saltantes protinus in terram cadentes.  
If you look for reasons to enforce this duty.  
1 God is great, and so is his name, hence, Jerem. 10.6. forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord, thou art great, and thy name is great in might; He exhorts to magnify.  
2 We are wisdoms children, and it's our duty to justify our parent, Mat. 11.19. wisdom is justified of her children; we may not then be tongue-tided in such a day as this.  
3 Kindnesses are conferred upon this account, Psal. 50.15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me; were not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?  
4 God his goodness endures daily in despite of all iniquity, Psalm. 54.6. I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will Praise thy name, O Lord, for it is good. And shall not the redeemed of the Lord say so who were remembered by him in their low estate? O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.  

Use.  
I shall infer only an exhortation to give God the honour due to his name, for the return of so gracious a King.   

Motives.  
1 Many of us have the return of our prayers, humbly groaned forth, and not in rancour and malice bolted out, though those like the fly on the wheel think they stir up all the dust.  
2 God is now cleared to be the wise, and only moderator, ruleing, yea over-ruleing all pretended providences, success was their Diana, and must be the decider of that great controversy, Whether regicidium by subjects was lawful or no: but God almighty to the honour of his name hath confuted those bloodhounds which killed and took possession.  
3 We have now judgement running down like water, King Charles the second restored, and that without the loss of one drop of blood; who more injured than our gracious King? and now God hath in spite of furious heathenish people, set him up upon his Throne, so that his enemies bow themselves, he treading upon the Asp and Adder.  
4 Hypocritical tyranny is exiled, which Jezabel like, when proclaimed a fast, meant murder, devotions being the harbingers to too many innocents' destructions, which made us in those times choose redarguing texts, though we durst do no more, witness Luke the 12.1. In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, in so much that they trod one upon another, he began to say to his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy; upon December the 6.1655. but I scorn to crouch or flatter.  
5 Heresy, and blasphemy, like Apollo's oracles at Christ his birth being silenced; oracula cessant, as Juvenal said, A canting Augustus, as Suidas hath it, enquiring about his successor, might, if he could return, writ haec est ara primogeniti dei; this is he whose right it is from God; in a sound sense I may say, the son of God, the son of his care, and delight witness those wonderful providences in his preservation, and restauration.  
6 Heedfully consider seven things in our gracious King.  
1 He is no alien born, but a native, as Juda said of David near a kin to us, the first King that drew his first breath in England since King Edward the sixth, hence that admired Sympathy and lenity towards his subjects hath much of its rise, Happy art thou O land whose Prince is impatient till thy wounds be healed.  
2 Ponder his prudence, evidenced in the choice of men, once jarring in their interests, to be employed in greatest trusts, by which he prevents fears and jealousies, once England's false fires, so that we may say as it was of David and Solomon, our Lord the King is as an Angel of God, to discern good and evil.  
3 He is no child, to be carried to and fro by the breath of selfseeking Sycophants, but at that age the Lord Christ was, when he undertook his spiritual Kingship, and David his temporal, thirty years old; a child is often a misery to a people, which King Edward the sixth, and his subjects, sadly felt from his courtier's factions, Eccles. 10.16. woe to thee O land, when thy King is a child, and thy Princes eat in the morning, And Isa. 3.4. And I will give children to be their Princes, and babes shall rule over them.  
4 His temperance is exemplary, so that debauched ones, like those lose youths in Job, fear, and fly, our great Charles being a second Charles the great, cibi potusque parcissimus.  
5 He is the Son of ancient Kings, and our King by an indisputable descent, so that none can say as those rebellious Israelites did in scorn, what is David or the Son of Jesse? our Chronicler Speed proving King James his title to this Crown was not from Henry the sevenths' daughter only, but before the conquest. Now as Plato in his Alcibiades, consentaneum est meliores esse naturas in nobili genere, quam ignobili.  
6 See how none could nestle, or bottom in peace, upon this throne, though by Sycophants fawned upon, and with large promises of support, addressed unto, God verifying that of Ezekiel 21.27. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him.  
7 He is the desire of three kingdoms, being a divine and reasonable donation, invited home by common consent, and entertained with highest expressions of joy.  
And now what remains but that we should walk worthy of such a Prince, lest God in anger deprive us of him? as 1 Sam. 12.25. But if ye shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed, both you and your King. And then we may at our leisure with groans and sighs repeat Jeremiahs' lamentations to the breaking of our hearts. Think not by surfeiting, and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, pride and envying, to cement our breaches, and maintain his honour, Rehoboams roisters ruined him, the Persian Princes enjoined the Jews to pray for the King's life, where drinking was without compulsion, healths were not heard off.  
Damning and drinking provoked the Almighty, and is not God (being always the same) as angry with the same sin as he was? nay, recoils upon old sins will cause recalls of old Judgements; you contradicting spirits who side with many, you hate out of an antipathy against holiness, know, that our gracious King expects better things from you, in that pithy passage, That humble supplications be poured out God for his continual assistance and improvement of this and all his mercies, to the honour of his great name, and safety, peace, and benefit, of our Kingdoms and dominions. Is God honoured by reviving old revel? and is safety secured by profaneness spitefully committed? will you thus requite the Lord, ye foolish people and unwise? but I direct my speech to those humble ones in the 2. verse, who will rejoice, and with upright hearts pray, that the Throne of our King may be greater than his progenitors, and that God would build him a sure house, so that we may never hear the sound of the trumpet, as alaruming to war, nor know the sad sequels of domestic broils. And now to close up all, I say with Mephibosheth, 2 Sam. 19.30. Forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in peace, unto his own house, let them enjoy rewards that seek them, all I desire, is liberty to preach Christ Jesus the Lord.   
FINIS.